Hey, all!
My sisters are starting school in a couple of weeks and I thought I’d share some tips of what NOT to do. I’m not ashamed to say that I feel like I did high school all wrong. Now, before you start rolling your eyes let me explain. I was President of Procrastination, I didn’t join m(any) clubs, and I just never lived in the moment. I checked myself on all of this before coming to college so I can make sure the next steps of my journey are fruitful. Honestly, I think this is a crucial step when making any change in your life. That being said, let me get off my soapbox and get to the point of discussion.
Don’t limit yourself: I missed out on so many opportunities because I didn’t put myself out there and try. I would attend one or two club meetings and call it a day. In retrospect, I never attempted to run for any executive position due to fear of failing or not being accepted. I guess the key here is confidence. Find what sets you apart from everyone else and use it to your advantage.
Don’t dismiss something just because you think it’s insignificant: I remember sitting in Algebra II thinking “when in the world am I ever gonna need this?!?”. Whatever you’re learning may not be important 10 years from now, but it’s certainly important at the moment. I hadn’t realized until later in my high school career that everything builds upon each other. So what you’re learning in Algebra can be used next year in Trig and what you learn in Trig can be used in Calc– you get the point. Take everything seriously, I say this because I found that I closed a few doors for myself by not taking my studies as serious as I should have.
Don’t forget why you’re working so hard: It’s easy to lose motivation when you’re buried under work and not receiving any immediate gratification, but never lose sight of your “Why?”. It’s also okay to plan out your future that way you know what you need to be doing at the moment so you can attain whatever it is you want out of life. However, please remember to come back to reality. I found myself thinking about my future so much that my current life was just passing me by. Try not to stress yourself out; enjoy the moment because after high school… oh, boy.
Don’t be too hard on yourself: Our biggest critics are ourselves and it’s important to know that perfection isn’t always possible. Should you stumble, examine the situation, take note of what went wrong, and try again.
Lastly…
Don’t forget to breathe: Take care of yourself; you only get to do high school once. For those college bound seniors, the transition from high school to college isn’t an easy one. To be honest, I’m not sure if there’s anything you can do to emotionally prepare for it, just be ready and breathe. It’s safe to say that I’m still going through this transition and I hope that towards the middle or end of this semester I’ll be more versed on this.
Well, that’s my spiel on the “Do Nots” of high school. It’s definitely not meant to scare anyone and it’s totally based on my personal experience. If you have more questions feel free to contact me.
xoxo
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