What I Wish I Knew In High School

Life gets harder, but it also gets better.

What I Wish I Knew In High School.

Dear unspecified college student.

I know that life seems hard. It seems like the quiz you have in third period and your afternoon soccer game are the most stressful things that this life has to offer. I wish I could tell you that life doesn't get harder. And I wish I could tell you that in college, life is the simple and carefree. Unfortunately, college is going to hit you like a ton of bricks. You are going to miss home, your old friends, your dog, and your bed. But, what I really want you to know is that college is where you find yourself. You are going to be encountered with new challenges, hardships, and an unbelievable amount of stress and, as a result, you will be stronger than you ever imagined possible. So, my advice to anyone in High School is to enjoy it. Don't get bogged down by every little obstacle or stressor. Instead, live life to it's fullest and don't have any regrets.

Study. I'm not trying to sound like a parent, but I cannot stress the importance of studying enough. In High School, I thought that a B average was good enough. I thought that a little bit of studying was better than nothing, and I did the bare minimum to get by. When it came time to apply for colleges, my parents 'made too much money' for me to receive governmental financial aid, and my grades weren't good enough to get me into the schools that I was interested in. So, I had to settle for a school that I was not interested in because it was the only school that offered me any scholarship money. The moral of my tale is that it will pay off in the long-run to make good grades, literally.

Be involved in as many opportunities as possible. In college, you aren't going to have as much time for social clubs or campus organizations. In High School, you have so many opportunities to serve others and to make a difference. So, take advantage of those opportunities. Not only will it look good on college applications, but you will find out what interests you all while serving the community.

So next time you get stressed out, breathe. High School isn't a time to be stressed. Spend those four years making life-long friends and setting the foundation for who you are going to be. Most of all, just enjoy it. It can be the best years of your life if you let it.