August Advice Column: High School
Updated: Sep 2, 2023
Written by Shraddha, one of our advice columnists, and edited by Stephanie, our editor-in-chief!
“Dear Advice Columnist,
I start high school soon and I'm a freshman. Kinda worried, any advice?”
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Hello Worried,
Firstly, congratulations on the beginning of a new chapter in your life!
I won’t sit here and preach to you about how you shouldn’t be worried and to have the best time of your life because I believe you already know that.
But your question made me revisit my own time as a young adult, and ponder over my journey. When I look back, I remember bits and pieces of a beautiful dream; which at times feels too good to be true, the moments of laughter I shared, the memories I made, and the connections I made with people, some of which were lost in time, and the others of which stayed. Life happens, we evolve, we change, you can count on that.
The obvious first: use this time to live life to the fullest and to explore every avenue of life. Use this time to exhaust every possibility and opportunity to learn, to grow as an individual, to be the best version of yourself. As many people have said before, times like this only come once in our lives. So do the obvious, make friends, connect with people, and leave your mark on the world by unapologetically being yourself, explore the hidden parts of yourself, experiment, go on adventures, study hard, and make plans for the future. Yes, do the textbook definition of high school.
But I’ll also tell you some secrets I learned over time, much later in life. High school is an opportunity for you to experience life, enjoy it, and enjoy not having a care in the world! You are like a young bird who has just grown a new pair of wings and can explore the skies, admire the beauty of the world, and enjoy the luxury of being a young one. You are at the cusp of blossoming into a beautiful adult, and this time, if utilized well, could bring you the most amazing opportunities to grow into yourself, find yourself, understand who you are, understand what you wish to do in life, and develop into the most authentic version of yourself.
Life is not all textbooks, and grades, although it may seem like that to you right now, but as we grow up, grades are the last thing that matter. People do, memories do, precious experiences do. Along with trying to figure out a life for yourself, and possibly carve a future, please don’t forget to walk in the park with your friends, maybe have a picnic, or go for a trip, fall in love, get hurt (trust me, it’s precious), find out what really makes you jump out of your bed in the morning and ready to go and live in the world, find out what makes your heart beat, what fuels your soul, what is it that you really want to leave behind, because my friend, we grow up too soon to later realise that maybe, just maybe, we missed out on life. So don’t...
Maybe learn to cook, learn something new, do something that scares you, all these are ways you will feel alive, and you need to feel that, you must be reminded of that, because you are alive.
But in the midst of growing up, don’t forget to live. Keep your friends close, try not to make enemies, but learn to find your voice, your opinion, and develop the courage to stand up for it. This is the time when you will find your tribe, your people, and a time when you will finally realise for the first time that your home is beyond the place you once called home. Maybe you’ll find your purpose, I hope you do, maybe you’ll do great, or do average, it doesn’t matter! Just know that this time is precious, and you must make the most of it.
So worried, I wish you all the best for your journey, and I am already excited about the fun times that await you, and proud of the wonderful human you are going to become. Please don’t be afraid of life, let it come to you in full force, and rattle your soul, and make you rise and fly, and help you be the person you are supposed to be. Don’t be afraid to take your place in the world, because my friend, you're needed right here...
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This piece was written by one of our writers, Shraddha. Reach 'em at @shraddhagulati_ on Instagram!
This piece was edited by one of our editors, Harley. Reach him at @ha.rleyn, on Instagram!
