Advice to students from a senior

There are things about high school that I believe students should understand. I have experienced many of these throughout my high school career and seen my peers experience them as well. When freshmen first come into the school, they are overwhelmed with expectations of what their next four years will look like.

Appreciate your teachers. Seriously. We are all inexperienced children close to having to be out on our own in the real world. Without job experience, references, or work ethic, you will not be able to achieve a job. The only people available to you right off the bat to ask for references and letters of recommendation are your teachers.

Whether you are at the bottom or top of the school, you are no more, nor less, important than the next. After high school, everyone will choose their own paths. The status you hold during these four years will not decipher where you go from here.

Skipping class one time will not ruin your life. But skipping a lot will. We all have been there when you wake up in the morning with a small twitch in your stomach and think to yourself, “Maybe mom will let me stay home today if I tell her that I feel sick.” This type of thinking is immature and will blow the opportunities you have to stay home when you are actually sick. School allows four absent days before you receive a letter of truancy and detention.

Wear sweatpants or a dress or basically whatever makes you comfortable, nobody cares. As long as you are within dress code, no one will care if you are wearing comfortable clothes or high fashion brands. It is better to feel comfortable in your own clothes than to sit in something uncomfortable for seven hours.

Utilize the library. You are very lucky and privileged to have access to almost unlimited knowledge and you should appreciate that. In college, textbooks are not free. You have to pay for every book your professors or class requires. Here they give them to you for free. As well as allowing internet and printer access and other resources such as homework help, tutors, and fifth period.

Participate. Whether it be in school activities or social groups. Being actively engaged will boost your chance of meeting potentially new friends and furthermore learning to cooperate with your peers is a skill needed for the rest of your life. Go to games, dances, rallies, events, parties, plays, performances, or concerts. Colleges, as well as employers, look for applicants who will improve the campus or work environment.

School is not just about grades; it is also about the experiences you make, so make each year as memorable as possible. Although grades have an impact on your future, there are some things just as important.