High school: we've all been there, done that. But, how well did you push through it? Did you wish you knew then what you know now? Maybe if you did, it would save you a lot of time, a lot of heartbreak, and a lot of drama. So, these are some things I know now, a month and a half after graduation, that I wish I would have known going into my freshman year of high school.
1. The classes you choose are important.
When you're a freshman signing up for your first high school classes, your class options are limited. As you get older and start to sign up for upperclassmen classes, you have more and more options. As an upperclassman, you have the choice to take AP (Advanced Placement) or Pre-AP classes. TAKE THEM. Yes, the classes are going to be harder, and you WILL have to actually study; but, those classes will prepare you for college. Also, if you do well in the class and pass your AP exam, you can get college credit. That means less classes you have to pay to retake in college. The more money you can save, the better. Plus, colleges like to see that you added a little extra to your class load right at the end of your high school career.
2. That guy/girl you are crushing over now, won't even matter in a year.
And I would know, that was me. In high school, I literally thought the world revolved around boys. I was always crushing, always jealous of another girl for the boyfriend she had that I wanted. In all honesty, it doesn't matter. The odds of you finding your husband in high school are ridiculously slim. Yes, there are people who do, and that's great. People fall in love and have great relationships in high school, but I promise that if love doesn't find you, it will. DO NOT go looking for it. Let it come to you. You're young, and you have plenty of time to worry about the future later on. Hang out with your friends, go study, make memories, but don't get so wrapped up in a significant other that you miss out on an amazing opportunity.
3. If you find an opportunity to do something you're interested in, do it.
Whether it be a job, a club, or some sort of internship, take it. I live by the phrase "Carpe diem", which means "Seize the day" in Latin. If you are given opportunities to broaden you life and stretch your interests, DO IT. If you've always wanted to play an instrument, join the band! If you like to run, join the cross country team! Do something with your time instead of just sitting at home playing video games every day after school. Those games can wait, but memories can not. If your parents need some help with finances at home, or if you just really want some spare cash to buy that new phone that you want so bad, go get a job. I promise that you can make the time. My senior year of high school I was a co-yearbook editor, a member on the color guard, a clarinet player, a choir member, and a diamond doll. Somehow, I still made time for a job at a local fast food restaurant. It wasn't luxurious, but it was money. They worked around my schedule, and I still had time for studying and for my friends.
4. YOUR GRADES MATTER
This is something I cannot stress enough. Your. Grades. Matter. Just because you have a 30 on your ACT doesn't mean that you will get that scholarship you want so bad.You have to have the appropriate GPA to match that ACT score to get your scholarship. Do not let your future get screwed up because you chose to screw around in high school. Study. I know you are sitting in Economics thinking "Wow, this test on stock exchange is going to be a piece of cake!" So, you don't study. Then the next day in class, when the test is right in front of you, you blank. Do not be that person. Colleges look at your grades from freshman through junior year to see if you slacked off and failed a couple classes. If you have straight F's and D's one semester, how is your GPA going to look? This brings me back to AP classes. AP classes bring up your GPA if you do well in them, but at the same time, they can bring it way down if you do poorly.
5. You should have been saving money for college.
I'm not going to lie, college is VERY expensive. To be honest, it's only getting more expensive. Save your pocket change. If you get a job, put back $50.00 into a savings account every time you get paid– the money will add up. When it comes time to pay that bill for your first semester of classes in college, you AND your parents will be happy you saved. Every penny counts.
6. You will lose friends (especially after graduation).
I know that you are probably like "oh no, Julia and I are like BFFLs." I promise you, that will change. I had a totally different group of friends at the end of my senior year, than I did at the beginning of my freshman year. Now that graduation is over, I see which of those friends were true friends. After graduation day, you may never see some people you saw every day in the hallways at school. A story that finally convinced me this was true was told to my entire class a couple months before graduation. My principal was having a class meeting telling us how proud of us he was and how much he loved us. Telling us to cherish what we have now. Then he told us that he has't seen his BEST FRIEND from high school since the day they graduated, and that's scary to thing about. But, now I know it's true. There are people I was close to before graduation that I haven't seen since. Luckily, my best friend and I are rooming together in college, and I know our friendship is a faithful one. However, I have made new friends and new memories in college. And I would not go back and change it if I had the chance.
7. Don'y defy your parents.
You have a curfew for a reason, and it is best that you respect that. Do not be a hooligan. When your mom/dad calls you and tells you to come home, go home. My mom always told me "Nothing good is open past midnight." And I have to say that she was right. The only things I did past midnight got me in trouble. Please don't sneak out of the house. Have you watched the news? Kids sneak out and get killed, and their parents never even knew they were gone. Listen to them. They love you, and when you go off to college, you won't see them every day anymore. Cherish the moments you have with them now. They raised you, and you owe them.
8. Act like you've been somewhere (Southern Expression).
Simply put, this means to act like a decent human being. Do not go hang out in the Wal-Mart parking lot and do doughnuts around the light poles or drive through your neighborhood and rev your engine at 11 p.m. People have children, and they are trying to sleep. Don't go into a store just to hang out, and then leave without buying something. Don't go out to eat and make a big mess because you can't eat spaghetti properly. Tip your waitresses/waiters. They get paid less than minimum wage, and they deal with you every Friday night. Open doors for people. DRESS APPROPRIATELY. Respect your elders and put on your best behavior.
9. Get some sleep.
Do not stay up all night and party with the cheerleaders and football team or try to level-up in your newest video game. Sleep deprivation can lead to sleep disorders that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Get all your necessary chores, studying, and homework done and go to sleep. Nobody likes a grumpy teenager. You will be thankful that you went to sleep when you did when you get to school. But also, coffee is a gift from God. If you need it, consume it.
10. Just because the "cool kids" are doing it, doesn't mean you have to also.
First of all, the expression "cool kids" bothers me because those kids are not cool. This kids that party, drink, have sex with a ton of people, and tear things up are the type of people that everyone should avoid. Peer pressure is VERY real. Just because you are at a party and someone asks you to smoke a cigarette does not mean you have to. They're not holding a gun to your head asking you to do it, so do not use the excuse "Oh, they made me do it." It's okay to get out of your comfort zone sometimes, but that means stuff more like riding a roller coaster or skydiving. Not doing drugs and causing trouble.
11. Go to school events. (athletics, school dances, fundraisers)
Personally, I hate football. Unfortunately (because I was in the marching band), I had to stomach not only one high school football game, but all of them. But, I wouldn't have traded the moments for anything. Memories are made on those fields and on those dance floors. I never missed a school dance. I never missed any of those memories, because I was there. I didn't have to hear about it from so-and-so, because I was there when it happened! You will feel better going out and participating. You can't get those years back.
12. BE YOURSELF.
Have fun, make new friends, paint a picture, and laugh until you cry. Never feel like you have to change just because someone doesn't like you, You have so much self-worth, and you have so much to live for, your story is just beginning. You have so many pages in your book of life that haven't been written on yet. Your life is made of a two dates and a dash, so make the most of that dash. Follow the rules, and behave, but never lose yourself. You are original, and you are you. Never forget that.
