Dear high school me…
I am in my second year of college and thinking about how I have to be an actual adult soon and go into the real world by myself is scary. Looking back to my years spent in high school I realized that I wish I would have listened to what my elders were telling me and done things differently. I have changed so much since coming to college and transformed into a better me but I wish I could have done so in high school, so I’ve made a list of things I wish I would have known in high school.
1. Stop procrastinating and do your work – college is hard and I wish I’d learned early on to do my homework ahead of time and not to fall behind and then have three papers and two tests to do and study for in one week. Try hard and make good grades, it can really pay off later on.
2. What you think is a big deal right now probably isn’t – there is so much drama that carries through the hallways, you don’t have to buy into it all. Drama is drama, there will always be something new going around.
3. Don’t be quick to judge people – getting to know a bunch of different people from different friend groups can actually be really cool. You don’t have to listen to what someone else said about another person, find out and get to know that person yourself and then think what you want to think. Being nice to everyone doesn’t hurt, make friends with the kid that no one talks to, don’t be shy and limit yourself to who you talk to.
4. Don’t waste your time on people who don’t appreciate and support you – so what if that girl doesn’t like you, it’s not the end of the world, go and make friends with someone else. One of the biggest things that I regret from high school is trying to pretend and be friends with people who didn’t care about me, I spent so much time trying to be friends with them that I missed opportunities to be friends with others.
5. Put down your phone – social media isn’t everything. Talking to people and developing better social skills will get you a lot further in life than keeping up to date on your friend’s cousins boyfriend.
6. He’s not worth it – I should’ve listen to everyone, but I thought he would be different. 97% of boys are too immature in high school and most likely still will be in college. Wait to find someone that treats you with respect and meets your standards.
7. Get involved – I wish I would have gotten involved in more clubs which could have given me so many more opportunities and I could have met so many more people.
8. Listen to your mom – before long you won’t be living at home anymore and you will find yourself calling your mom to ask her just about anything. Don’t push her away, she just wants to know what’s going on in your life.
9. Learn to love yourself – dress how you want to dress, do what you think is cool. Find what you’re passionate about and don’t let people discourage you from doing it.
Have fun, go on adventures, try new things and hang out with people you thought you would never be friends with. Be true to yourself, you know yourself better than anyone. High school only lasts four years, and then you can do whatever your heart desires.