Just a year ago in June 2020, I received my high school diploma. I was expecting a grand graduation, but grouping hundreds of people together during a pandemic might not be the greatest idea.
Now I’m in my freshman year of college, but I still don’t yet feel like I have graduated. So to finally wrap this up, I shall look back on my four years.
1. Quality Over Quantity
I believed that high school was simply a stepping stone to college. I would enroll into as many AP classes as I could fit into my schedule just to shine brighter in my college applications. Not only was this completely wrong, but it also wasted my time. I spent all of my time studying, stressing out, or eating.
Almost none of the classes I look interested me (especially the political and history courses), but I still forced myself to apply and attend the classes.
Take the classes or subjects that truly, honestly interest you. If none suit your taste, then you don’t have to take any. However, if you already have a clear career or goal in then just take the AP classes entered around that. There is no need to do extra work, learning something brings you misery and that will benefit your goal barely.
2. Connect With Teachers & More
Like many students, I had some teachers I loved dearly, and some that I did not. Additionally, there were some that I wanted to be close to, but did not put an active effort to do so. I would always give an excuse that I have to go home and study or I have a meeting today.
The best advice I can give is to participate in class, especially if your hands are already full. This does not only help with building a relationship with the teacher but also solidifies your learning.
I have this one friend who was extremely popular with the students AND the teachers. Even if he wasn’t in some of their classes, the teachers would still know his name. I would envy his closeness with practically everyone in the building from the teachers to the guidance counselors to even the security guards. There was no person who didn’t know his name.
There will be some teachers that you don’t particularly like and that’s completely fine too. Like regular people, you don’t have to be friends with everyone. Teachers are people too. However, do treat your superiors with respect and decency. Surprisingly, not all people do, but that doesn’t have to be the same with you.
3. You’re Still Young
Four years is such a small fraction of your life, but at that point, it seems like your whole life. But you are still young. In high school, you are still being fed information with your teachers. There will be some leeway in practically anything that you do. Take advantage of that. I’m not saying to not do any of your work and expect a high grade to be handed to you. Rather, my point is that you should not stress over the small mistakes and sometimes even the larger ones.
I could not tell you how many times I asked for extra credit. Even if I got one of the highest scores, I would still ask if there was anything I could do to receive full marks or perhaps even more. Do not pull your hair out worrying, grades are important, but your mental health is even more important.
4. It’s Okay to Quit
Quitting has such a bad reputation. It has the same connotation as failure and often implies that the person simply does not have the willpower, knowledge, or ability to complete whatever they have initially set their mind to do.
I say that quitting is rather a good thing. We are only human. We can lose passion for something that we previously enjoyed. We can change our minds, and if something does not make you feel alive anymore then you can quit. It’s normal.
However, to almost every piece of advice there are caveats. For example, quitting a marriage has a lot more consequences than quitting a high school club. Analyze your situation and predict the consequences and then make a decision. Who will be affected by your decision? Is there another way than to quit?
It’s perfectly okay to quit, but quitting should not be the first answer.
Writer’s Note: Hi! This is my first Medium Article. I have been writing and deleting many of my articles until I finally gathered the courage to just put my work out there. I appreciate you reading until the very end and please don’t hesitate to give me comments. Thank you!
