Like most people, I, too, wish I could go back and tell my younger self things. I had a really rough high school experience, and I thought that would last well into my university experience. Being in my fourth year of university, I have learned many things I wish I had known when I was younger, some of those things being bullying, grades and how to make friends.
Bullying
Growing up, there was not a year in school that I didn’t have to deal with bullying of some sort. Well, I can say that it definitely defined my childhood and who I am to this day. I thought that these experiences and situations would last well into my university experience. The thing that I wished I could tell my younger self is that it does end and does not last well into your university experience. It may not have completely ended, and you may still experience some bitter people here and there who will go out of their way to hurt you but it does not last forever, and you don’t let it define you anymore.
Grades
In the past, I never let my grades define me or my success in life, except when I was in grade 12. When you go off to university it is drilled into your head that grades matter and grades are important. Once I was told this I thought I had no choice but to try and try and achieve the best of the best. It put a lot of pressure on me and ended up hurting me a lot more than helping. The one thing that I wish I could tell myself is that the grades you get in grade 12 do not determine your future, self-esteem or achievement. While they are important, they do not make or break everything in life and you will do fine without that extra pressure.
Friends
Friends have always been a tricky thing for me to deal with. I always struggled to get along with people my age or older, so I tend to hang around individuals a year or two younger than me. This was never a huge problem in high school but university posed a problem. I tried my best to meet people and join clubs but that also did not work. I just never had the best time with people my age. With the global pandemic shutting down schools, I never got a chance to meet people until this year who I would hopefully get along with. The thing I wish I could tell my younger self is that things do get better, and you will meet some amazing people eventually. It does take time, but you will eventually find your people.
Overall, things in high school were rough and I never thought that I would be where I am today. I am happy that my younger self did not actually know this information because it defined who I was and what experiences I have dealt with so far, but sometimes, this information would have been helpful.