What a wild past four years I’ve gone through. I started High School back in the fall of 2019 and finished the spring of 2023. You would think a lot wouldn’t happen in four years, and I thought the same, but everything can get flipped upside down in that time. It is wild what high school can do, but here are a few things I’ve learned that I hope to pass along.

Do Your Work

It sounds lame and most people roll their eyes when I tell them that. However, it does pay off and it is worth it. Not only does it affect your grade, but teachers also treat you a lot better. The first three years of high school were rough because I’ll be honest, I didn’t do my work. Those were really stressful and difficult times. However, senior year I changed that all up, and this year has been a breeze. I get my work done on my off hours or at home, and it gets done. If you hold onto work and don’t do it, it piles up and suddenly you find yourself drowning in school work. Do yourself a favor and do your work. Future you will be thankful. 

Enjoy the Breaks You Get

I used to make a really bad habit of taking breaks for granted. That’s changed slightly this year, but I can’t take back the lost time. You start to realize that these are the last breaks you’re going to get before jumping into “the real world”. You don’t get big long breaks because you’re going to be working or trying to take care of others. It’s good to enjoy what breaks you’re given. 

Make Time For Things

I’ve had far too many friends complain about how they never have time to do anything. I understand that sometimes you want to take really hard classes, but is it worth sacrificing your childhood. I’m not here to tell you what to do, but understand what you might be getting into with AP classes. If you don’t want to sacrifice all your free time then go ahead, but nobody wants to hear you complain. If you’re not taking complicated classes make sure to make time for family, friends, and hobbies. There are moments that you’re never going to get back. Sometimes playing Mario Kart with your little brother is more important than turning in one formative assignment. Not to get overly philosophical but we have limited time with those we love, we need to cherish it. Not just for them, but for ourselves. 

Try and Take Classes You’ll Enjoy

High school is bad enough, don’t make it worse by taking classes you don’t want to. Sure there are some classes that we all have to take, but for electives try and take ones that sound interesting to you. You’ll be doing yourself a favor. Just because you have to be here doesn’t mean you have to be miserable the whole time. There are fun classes, you just have to try different things and also keep an open mind. Some of my favorite classes were Journalism, Sociology, Physcology, and Drawing. 

There are so many other things that I want to say, but I don’t want to be here forever. All I’m saying is that you’re only stuck here for four years, and sometimes you have to make the best of a bad situation. I know this isn’t a Star Wars article, but I want to say it one last time. May the force be with you.Erika Lewis’ High School Experience