Over the course of four years here at Bel Air High School, I’ve encountered plenty of trials and tribulations. As I write my final story, I decided to take the opportunity to leave some advice. So, here are my biggest takeaways:
Embrace Uncertainty:
As a senior, there will be many questions, and not as many answers. Whether it’s with college decisions, your future goals, or what you will wear the next day. My advice is to embrace this level of uncertainty. Allow yourself to make mistakes before your life begins to take concrete form. Have fun while you have the freedom to do so, and don’t allow the uncertainty to stress you out. Stress only elevates the impact the uncertainty has on you. Enjoy not knowing what’s next, not knowing the path that you will be going on, because you still have the freedom to mess around and figure it out.
Gain Valuable Life Skills:
Take your time in high school to adapt to the real world as best you can. Find a fun, part-time job to learn the inner workings of a job, holding a position. Teach yourself how to manage your money, do your laundry, shop for groceries, and all the little things in life you don’t even think about. Whether you’ll be a sophomore or a senior next year, it’s never too early to start honing in your skills you’ll need outside algebra or chemistry. It can, however, be too late. Having life skills is all you need to successfully take care of yourself once you leave high school. I’ve worked for three years and now have an excellent understanding of how to function in a work setting with bosses and attendance. Having that skill puts you ahead of many others your age who have just put their eggs into the academic basket.
Start Early:
Waiting to begin experimenting with your academics, your occupations, or your aspirations is the biggest mistake you can make in high school. It does not mean you need to know everything when you come in as a sophomore, but you should be looking around. See what kind of classes interest you and begin to value them as possible career options. Start working as early as you are comfortable, as, unfortunately, having money for yourself makes high school twice as fun, as you can go out with friends and pay for things like homecoming or prom. Getting settled into the world of having a job earlier rather than later will set you up for consistency and a routine that you can follow through the rest of your high school career. Don’t take AP classes just to take them, as I promise, colleges don’t care about your number of AP classes. Take the ones that interest you, ones that will help you towards possible career goals. Slowly build your resume up! Start with 1 AP Sophomore year to get the experience, then 2 or 3 your Junior year, then as many as you want to take for your Senior year. Essentially, start early. Get ahead of your classmates and grind while life is still on the easier side.
Have Pride in Yourself:
The biggest asset you can have in high school is being proud of yourself. Good grades? Be proud of yourself. Got a raise at work? Be proud of yourself. Any ounce of pride you can have in yourself will push you to keep working towards the next goal, the next prideful occurrence. Don’t allow yourself to have any doubt in your abilities or your beliefs. Always remain proud that you have accomplished all these things, gotten yourself to this point in life. The beginnings of self-doubt and questioning will haunt you as you try and embrace uncertainty and try new things. Walk into the class you know you really understand with your head held high, and participate, as highlighting your strengths just gives you more of them.
And Lastly, Do Your Work:
Slacking is the easy way out, so don’t take that road. Get home from school and grind out all your work while you’re still in the zone. If you begin to fall behind, take a day and get everything out of the way. The things that build up will only make things harder for you.
Closing Thoughts
At the end of the day, Senior Year is the most exciting time of your life. Let it be that way without any unnecessary trials and tribulations. Enjoy the last time you’ll be around everyone you’ve grown to love (and hate). For the last time, we’ll have to see how it turns out.