Five Pieces of Advice from a multi-mistake making 4th year high school student

1. 1. Focus less on the title and more on the learning. A huge mistake that I made in my first few years was definitely scheduling. Instead of choosing to take honors and AP classes for subjects that I was passionate about and interested in pursuing, I chose to take honors in some classes that were not the best fit for me. I ended up struggling through Honors Algebra 2, instead of understanding and succeeding in regular Algebra 2. Now, I am taking Academic Stat and I love it. My teacher is patient, and works at a pace that is comfortable for me, so I can be engaged in class and really learn statistics.

2. 2. Unfortunately guilty by association is a thing, so surround yourself with the right kind of people. Even if you are a good student with good intentions, it’s almost impossible for others to weed you out from all the troublemakers you may be hanging around. Listen, you will meet many people in your four years in high school. Focus your energy on those with the same mission as you. Spend time with friends who encourage you to fulfill your greatest aspirations.

3. 3. Avoid drama. Avoid it like it's a contagious disease that will give you an ugly, bumpy, red rash all over your face. Avoid it. My dad gave me a piece of advice when I started high school that has helped me survive this area of my life. Don’t say anything about someone, you wouldn’t say if they were standing right next to you; so, if someone goes back and repeats something you say, you can easily tell the person “Yes I said that, and I would have said if you were standing right next to me.”

4. 4. Read. Read. Read. Many of us don’t have the opportunity to travel and experience the kinds of things that make one person considered cultured or well rounded over another. It’s okay! Many of you may not know this but you can travel the world from the comfort of your public library. Read lots of books. Read some challenging ones, to prepare you for college level text, but also read some fun ones that equip you with interesting facts and information to bring up in conversation.

5. 5. If you take nothing else with you from high school, take good study habits. College is not going to be easy. I have siblings who have shared stories of their workload. However, if you leave high school with good study habits, you can survive anything because you are willing to work and do what you have to do for success.