A few days ago, I was reading through some of my journals written during my teenage years, and observed a theme: I hated high school.
Of course if you know me IRL, you know this. If you could’ve witnessed me in high school, you would’ve caught me slinking through the hallways and trying to disappear into the walls.
High school was a rough time for me. (I transferred schools three times.) I’ve battled with bad anxiety on and off in my life, with most of my most intense experiences occurring during my high school career.
Most of us have high school troubles filled with teen angst/identity crises that we are happy to put behind us come graduation day. Now that high school is a thing of my past, I can think of a few things I’d wished someone would have told my high school self to make the journey a little easier.
You don’t have to fit the mold.
I was extremely self-conscious of myself in high school like most teenagers. I also suffered with social anxiety which means I feared meeting and talking to new people and a majority of other social situations. My biggest fear was that someone would notice I was anxious and deem me weird. They would decide I was too strange to be associated with and I would become a social leper. I was always concerned about standing out or appearing “weird” due to my anxiety. If I’d only figured out sooner that I didn’t have to look like, sound like, or pretend to be anything other than who I was, I would have saved myself a lot of time spent worrying and been able to enjoy more of my high school experience.
Relationships change, friendships end.
High school is all about BFFs, BFs and GFs. Your high school relationships are usually intense and emotional. They feel permanent, like they’ll last forever. Yet, some friendships or relationships are only for a season in your life. People change over the years or grow apart. Not all friends are meant for the long haul. Some of the friendships I held in high school went on well past their expiration date. They weren’t productive or healthy anymore and were costing me way more drama than was worth. I chose to continue them because,well, BFFs, right? Lesson learned.
High School’s Not Forever
If you’ve ever been a teenager or have one or know any, teen drama is real. Being a teenager in itself can be dramatic. Acne. Parents. Relationships. College applications. Prom dates. It’s a lot. Every fault or misstep feels drastic. Every pimple or fashion faux-pas is the end of the world as you know it. And because your brain’s frontal lobe is still developing at that age, it honestly feels that way. But the trials and tribulations, you may go through aren’t forever. High school comes to an end.
Particularly in this season, when students are tired of online schooling, miserable with social distancing at school, and ready to check out, it’s important to know there are better times ahead.
What advice would you give to your high school self? Let me know in the comments below!
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