There are many things to be said about the “high school experience”, and now that I am a sophomore in college I constantly find myself reflecting back on those days with some nostalgia, a few regrets and a lot of advice I wish I could've given myself back then.
The first thing that always comes to mind when I look back on high school is to remind myself how lucky I am that I did not “peak” at seventeen. We all know those people who were uber popular in high school, they got decent grades, were always favored by teachers, pretty or handsome and had tons of friends.
I am sure everyone can think of at least one person they were jealous of because it seemed like they had it all... beauty, brains and a killer social life. But now most of those people who peaked in high school stayed in the same town, with the same friends and are not moving forward with life. It's like time froze.
Secondly, something I wish I could tell myself when I was sixteen was that the friends you had at the time may not always be your friends... heck, the friends you had that year may not be your friends the next year. I also wish I knew that it is okay not to be friends with the person you once thought would be your bridesmaid, and that it's also okay to be friends with someone you may not have liked, or may not have liked you. Forgiveness and getting over petty fights shows maturity.
Whether graduation pictures are with 20 or by yourself, you made it.
Third, boys are stupid, don’t let them drag you (or your friendships) down. I personally have seen friend groups split up just because of boy drama. Trust me, if it were worth it, he wouldn't be causing so many issues.
Number four, and maybe most importantly, DO WELL IN SCHOOL. If I regret one thing the most, it is that I didn't try as hard as I know I could have and should have. It may not seem like it freshman year, but that one C in your math class may actually cause a slippery slope of low GPA. School is not always easy, and I hate to say it but “living up to your potential” is a real thing, and I wish I listened to my guidance counselor when she said “grades do count”.
College is not easy whatsoever, but in order to move forward you need to have building blocks, and those are formed in high school. So actually learn how to study, take school seriously and take those extra SAT courses.
Five, its okay that you weren't prom queen or homecoming princess. Despite what you told yourself when you were eight years old, you were not prom queen and it's totally fine. As we all know those elections are just a popularity contest, and ten years from then on your wedding day, that is when you will truly feel like a princess, and that is when it truly matters.
And finally, six. Although it might not seem like it while you're in high school, there is so much more to life than the same bleak hallway walls you were trapped in for four years. You will lose the braces, the glasses and fill out, so don't stress. Whether it be friends, boys, bullies or grades, you will get through it, and walking across that stage with a diploma in your hands is so satisfying.
So, to my high school self, it does end eventually, try to make the best of it because right now life is pretty kickass. (and yes, you do lose your baby face.)
