High School is rough. If anyone hated high school, it was me. I was that girl that never even shed a small tear at any senior event. I wanted nothing more than to walk across that stage, receive my diploma, and run out the door. Never look back. The highly anticipated day finally came. I happily strutted across the stage and a strong sense of happiness and relief that I had never felt before came upon me. I had done it. I was finished. I was so ready to get on with my life.
Flash forward, first day of school for everyone... except me. Reality hit. Hard. I was officially a college student. All of a sudden, an overwhelming sense of fear and regret swept across me. Fear because of change. Everything was about to change. My relationships, my routine, everything. Regret because in that moment I knew that I did not live my high school career to its fullest potential.
As a high school girl, I hated it all. The moment I walked through the doors each morning, I immediately wanted to go home. I was surrounded by gossip, pressure to be someone I wasn't, and drama. Everyone was so mean, it felt as though teachers and counselors were constantly trying to force careers upon me that I didn't even want, and to top it off, my parents stayed planted on my case all the time. I didn't feel like I fit in with any group at school so I basically just floated from group to group, but it truly bothered me that there were "groups" in the first place. I was lost in a sea of people trying too hard, and I felt like I was drowning. But I wasn't really trying to have fun. I just went with the flow, and didn't step out of my comfort zone at all really.
As I sit in my dorm room alone tonight, I wish that I could go back and redo high school. I see pictures on Facebook of high schoolers at football games, spirit weeks, and so much more. I scroll down further and see statuses about how much these same people hate high school. I promise, I've been there. But please know that whether you are a freshman or a senior, high school will be over before you know it. Nobody is lying when they say that you're going to miss it. Don't get me wrong, I am so ready to get on with my life, but if I could redo the last four years, I would in a heartbeat.
Go to a football game, really cheer. Get into the student section and show some pride. You don't get that sense of closeness in college. Spend time with your friends every weekend. You won't see them all after you graduate. People drift apart and get new friends. It is honestly just part of life. Thank your teachers and counselors, they are helping you. I promise. Hug your parents and don't let them forget how thankful you are for them. They actually do care.
If you're in high school reading this and you're anything like I was, you're probably shrugging all these words off, but I'm here to tell you that you will miss high school when it's too late to go back. Whether you want to believe those words or not is up to you. I sure didn't. Nobody gets nicer, you will wish that you had those counselors and teachers to encourage you, and most of all, you WILL miss your parents, a lot. Make the most of high school, because you're going to miss this.
