High School. The school, the people, the teachers, and the classrooms have all become permanent fixtures in my life. It’s difficult to imagine no longer driving down Independence Blvd or walking to the front doors at seven in the morning. 

Lesson 1: Time goes by faster than you think

It’s a weird feeling when time feels like it’s going by slowly, when you’re just taking it day by day, but when you look back at things, time goes by so fast. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that it’s already June and I’m graduating in a week. I can still remember being a freshman, scared because I had just moved here and I had no friends. It feels like that was yesterday, yet also ages ago. Covid messed with my high school experience which might have contributed to it going by so fast since I wasn’t in school for an entire school year and almost half of another school year. Those two years felt like a fever dream and it’s difficult to imagine how different my life would’ve been were it not for a global pandemic. For the underclassmen who had a different experience, it might feel like four years are a really long time, but they’re not, which is why I encourage you to take every opportunity that comes your way and get involved with the school. Find one or two activities that you truly enjoy and stick with them because those experiences will enhance your time at school and make you more enthusiastic about going to school everyday. 

Lesson 2: Stop caring about what other people think

Even though that is still hard for me to do, I feel a lot more comfortable with myself compared to a few years ago. When I was looking through my camera roll to find pictures and videos to include, I found myself cringing at myself and my friends a lot. I still think we were definitely embarrassing but at the end of the day, we were having fun and being happy which is more important than what other people thought. Maybe I’ll look back when I’m a senior in college and think that I was cringy and embarrassing right now but that’s just how life is. Don’t let your fear of what other people think hold you back from doing something that you want to. I encourage all underclassmen to get involved and try new things! High school is a good time to explore different interests and try to figure out what you like and what you don’t like. 

Lesson 3: Hard Work Pays Off

Reflecting on my academic journey in high school, I am proud, but of course, there was room for improvement. Even then, however, I was able to manage my stress and school life with extracurriculars. Fun fact: I have never done schoolwork past 6 p.m. I had to get that fact on record because unfortunately,  that will most definitely change when I go to college. It’s important to take your classes seriously otherwise you will most likely find yourself regretting how you spent your time during high school. Obviously, you shouldn’t study yourself to death, but making an effort in all of your classes is vital. It’s also important to establish good study habits and recognize what classes you will need to spend more time on so you can prioritize your time. Another tip I have is if you’re struggling, ask for help! I am someone who despises asking for help because I just want to figure everything out on my own, but I don’t recommend being like me. Your teachers are there to help you, so don’t feel like you’re inferior for admitting that you don’t understand something.

Lesson 4: Spend time with the people you care about

This lesson is quite simple and obvious, but I felt that I should include it because it deserves to be emphasized. These four years are basically the last years of your childhood; appreciate the people you care about. Whether it’s your best friends or your family, go out of your way to make plans with them and truly cherish this time you have together. The fact that I won’t be seeing my parents every day still hasn’t truly hit me and I don’t know how I will cope. This summer, I will be spending every day with my family or my best friends who I know I won’t be seeing for a while as we all go our separate ways.