The "High School" chapter of the book that is my life seemed to last a lifetime. Though, now that it is in the past, I can't help the overwhelming bittersweet sentiments towards my past experiences. Though I am incredibly delighted to start a new chapter at Emmanuel College, I have been reflecting my overall high school experience, trying to remember all the good and bad times I experienced throughout my four years. I made many mistakes during those four years but they also shaped me into who I am today, nonetheless. As a freshman, I wish I had met older, wiser, cooler me and these are the things I wish she had told me:

1. Don't sweat the small stuff.

As a freshman, I would always worry so much about the little things. I would worry about how others perceived me, how my hair looked that day if I had the perfect outfit... the list goes on. After four years, I have outgrown this attitude. Mostly because senioritis hit me around sophomore year and I pretty much went downhill from there, but mostly because I became aware that these were small things that would not make an impact overall.

2. You likely won't be friends with the same people throughout high school.

One of my favorite things about growing up is being able to look back at my younger self either through photos or videos and notice the enormous changes that have occurred. One of my eight grade teachers had the amazing idea to have us write letters to our future selves and open them on the last day of senior year. When reading my letter, I was amazed at how much had changed in only four years. Within it, I had listed all my friends and the incredible thing was that I was no longer close to any of those people. The reality is that you outgrow people as you grow as a person. Whether it be due to a falling out or simply change of interests and common ground, it is unlikely that you will end high school with the same best friends you began with. And though this may be sad to some, change is good!

3. Say "yes" to every opportunity.

My biggest regret in high school was not being involved enough. This doesn't necessarily mean just clubs or extracurricular activities but simply engaging with my peers in any way possible. I did join a few clubs and played a few sports but I still maintained a close-minded mentality that no one could penetrate. It was difficult for me to try new things because I was convinced that it would not be worthwhile and therefore, I didn't explore it to its full extent. This really hindered my personal growth because I was setting limits for myself and I would later regret that.

4. Don't be in a room where you are the smartest person there.

The biggest lesson I learned in high school is that there is always something to learn from someone. While you may assume that someone isn't smart or as capable as you, it is guaranteed that they know something you don't. This is due to distinctive experiences you both encountered. Definitely, surround yourself with others who initiate discussion about new topics, even if you're uncomfortable at first.

5. That senior boy doesn't want to be friends.

Naiveté was my biggest downfall during my freshman year. I was pursued by several older guys and because I was so worried about impressing others, (check tip #1) I fell for their traps. Without a doubt, I can say that if an older guy asks you to hang out with you in the middle of the night, he is not looking for a friendship. End of story.

6. If you have to hide it, you probably shouldn't be doing it.

This tip applies to everything in life, not just the obvious things a freshman girl would be hiding. Hiding something insinuates that you are ashamed or embarrassed by it and if that is the case, why associate yourself with it? Other than that, my freshman year included many little lies to hide the truth behind my whereabouts, whom I was spending time with and what I was doing. The biggest lesson from that is that those things were never worth lying about.

7. Don't be scared to be yourself.

I've never been quiet about my opinions. And I never will be. But my freshman self kinda doubted if she should be so outright about what she believed in, and she would sometimes regret not speaking her mind. In the past years, there have been a few attempts by other people to make me a duller person. These attempts may have silenced me my freshman year but definitely not now. Especially because since then, I have learned how to defend what I believe in using effective and persuasive rhetoric.

8. Never let anyone dull your sparkle.

In the same wavelength, I will speak about self-confidence. As someone who has always been very confident, I could have never imagined a day where I made myself less interesting, or put myself down so others could feel special or superior. Or course, I would have never done this intentionally but in the past four years, I have unconsciously allowed myself to not shine because others did not feel as confident as I did. Not only is this self-destructive but it is not allowing the other person to be an individual.

9. Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire

These are words to live by. And that is the reason why they belong on my graduation cap. I hope to embody the words of this quote throughout my life. It is not enough to go after your dreams, you have to be fearless in the act of doing so and not letting anything tear you down. My freshman-self didn't know how many obstacles she would face in future years but she was fearless in achieving her goals and that is what got me to this exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.