Advice For High Schoolers!
So, lately I have been thinking back on my High School experience and things that I wish I did and advice I wish I knew before I even started High School. I also have just been thinking about if I really enjoyed High School or not and just what it was like for me. In all honesty, High School was actually a pretty good experience for me. I mean, it had its moments where I just wanted it to be over with, but over all it really was not so bad, but I did learn some things that I do wish people told me about before I was in High School. So, I am going to share those things with all of you, and this advice will be great for those who are in High School or are about to start High School.
First and foremost, give your best effort 100% of the time, not just when you realize you are a junior and you need to get your grades up in order to get into a decent college. I will be honest, I did not give my best effort my freshman year. My grades were not that great and I do wish I had tried harder my freshman year and had gotten better grades. I did not work to my fullest potential and definitely could have done much better in my freshman year, and maybe even a little bit of my sophomore year. The fact is, all of your High School grades count to your final GPA when you graduate. And the better your GPA, the better your chances are of getting some decent scholarships and of getting into a good college. It makes life a lot less stressful if you are not spending your junior and senior year just working your butt off at school just to raise your GPA. So, please, all High School kids, put forth your best effort starting from your freshman year and don't be a slacker, it just is not worth it. Take it from someone who had to work their butt off junior and senior year just to end my High School career with a 3.5 GPA.
Second piece of advice I have, is your High School career goes by so fast and lasts just a very short 4 years, so enjoy it. Get involved in some sort of club or team, go to dances, and have fun. Yes, it is very important to focus on your school work and on having a job and things like that, but you really want to enjoy yourself and have fun along the way, because it is gone before you know it, and suddenly you are thrust into the world of having to be more "adult like". Something my mom always told me, is that you have the whole rest of your life to work, so don't let work keep from participating in the things that you won't get the chance to do later down the road. So if you get asked to go to a dance, do it, if you get an opportunity to go on a once in lifetime trip, don't say that you can't because of work, take off from work, or switch your schedule around with someone else. You won't get these years back, so you want to live them to your fullest.
Third piece of advice, avoid stupid, petty, drama at all costs. Do you really want to look back on your High School career and the only thing you remember is how much drama you had to deal with? It is not worth it. Just stay away from drama, stay away from those that live with drama 24/7, don't date someone that you think won't work out and just cause you hurt. Heck, don't date at all if you don't even like the guy/girl. Really relationship drama is just so childish and it is best to avoid it and not walk around with all kinds of hurt. Also, if the drama is over something really petty like what something stupid someone said, just drop it and move on. Don't get involved with rumors, don't bully anyone, DON'T DO DUMB THINGS! Really the best way to stay out of drama is just to not be dumb. Be wise with all of your decisions and if you question whether or not it is dumb, ask an adult, they will tell you. And if you have to ask, most likely it is dumb, so don't do it. You don't want to look back on being in High School and just remember how dumb you were the entire time and how much drama you got caught up in. Just avoid it and be smart, if that means telling a friend that they are being dumb, or walking away from someone who is being dumb, then do it. You really want to enjoy High School and not regret it.
The last piece of advice I have for you, is dealing with stress. High School can get stressful, there is no doubt about it. Everyone has there moments where they just want to hide under the covers and pretend life isn't happening and you have nothing you have to do, but reality is it is there, you just have to find ways to deal with it. The number one thing to do, is just step away from the work for a few minutes, and go to God. Say a prayer, telling God all your worries and stresses and ask for peace and guidance and for him to help you get through it. And also just open your Bible, there are a lot of great verses in the Bible that can help you to feel more at peace and give you great advice and reminders. And God knows when you are stressed, and knows when it is he just needs to wrap his arms around you and tell you that you will get through it. Some verses to get started with are, Philippians 4:6-7 and Matthew 11:28-30 those 2 verses are great when you need some peace of mind. Taking a few minutes to spend with God is what helped me during my most stressful times, and it was something I didn't learn to do until my senior year, and wish I knew before then. Also, find things you enjoy that can give you a stress release and a break from things. Read a book, play video games, exercise, go for a walk, write in a journal, listen to music, draw something, or what ever else it is you enjoy. Just find that one thing that can get your mind off of things. It will help you in the long run. Also, find an adult figure that can just be a good support person and can be someone to help guide you and give you sound advice and just be there for you during the rough times. Whether it be a relative, a teacher, or a pastor/youth pastor, just find that one person that you know you can go to, that person will be key and will be the biggest help to you!
So all in all, surround yourself with good people and avoid drama, be smart, put forth your best effort at all times and don't slack, enjoy life and don't miss out on the fun things that you might not get to do later down the road, have fun, get involved, and go to God during times of stress and find a good stress reliever and a good person to help you through it all. You follow these things, and I can promise High School will be much better for you, not that it won't still be hard at times, because it will, there is no avoiding things that are difficult, but hopefully this advice can help you get through the hard times and enjoy the good times! Thanks for reading!
First and foremost, give your best effort 100% of the time, not just when you realize you are a junior and you need to get your grades up in order to get into a decent college. I will be honest, I did not give my best effort my freshman year. My grades were not that great and I do wish I had tried harder my freshman year and had gotten better grades. I did not work to my fullest potential and definitely could have done much better in my freshman year, and maybe even a little bit of my sophomore year. The fact is, all of your High School grades count to your final GPA when you graduate. And the better your GPA, the better your chances are of getting some decent scholarships and of getting into a good college. It makes life a lot less stressful if you are not spending your junior and senior year just working your butt off at school just to raise your GPA. So, please, all High School kids, put forth your best effort starting from your freshman year and don't be a slacker, it just is not worth it. Take it from someone who had to work their butt off junior and senior year just to end my High School career with a 3.5 GPA.
Second piece of advice I have, is your High School career goes by so fast and lasts just a very short 4 years, so enjoy it. Get involved in some sort of club or team, go to dances, and have fun. Yes, it is very important to focus on your school work and on having a job and things like that, but you really want to enjoy yourself and have fun along the way, because it is gone before you know it, and suddenly you are thrust into the world of having to be more "adult like". Something my mom always told me, is that you have the whole rest of your life to work, so don't let work keep from participating in the things that you won't get the chance to do later down the road. So if you get asked to go to a dance, do it, if you get an opportunity to go on a once in lifetime trip, don't say that you can't because of work, take off from work, or switch your schedule around with someone else. You won't get these years back, so you want to live them to your fullest.
Third piece of advice, avoid stupid, petty, drama at all costs. Do you really want to look back on your High School career and the only thing you remember is how much drama you had to deal with? It is not worth it. Just stay away from drama, stay away from those that live with drama 24/7, don't date someone that you think won't work out and just cause you hurt. Heck, don't date at all if you don't even like the guy/girl. Really relationship drama is just so childish and it is best to avoid it and not walk around with all kinds of hurt. Also, if the drama is over something really petty like what something stupid someone said, just drop it and move on. Don't get involved with rumors, don't bully anyone, DON'T DO DUMB THINGS! Really the best way to stay out of drama is just to not be dumb. Be wise with all of your decisions and if you question whether or not it is dumb, ask an adult, they will tell you. And if you have to ask, most likely it is dumb, so don't do it. You don't want to look back on being in High School and just remember how dumb you were the entire time and how much drama you got caught up in. Just avoid it and be smart, if that means telling a friend that they are being dumb, or walking away from someone who is being dumb, then do it. You really want to enjoy High School and not regret it.
The last piece of advice I have for you, is dealing with stress. High School can get stressful, there is no doubt about it. Everyone has there moments where they just want to hide under the covers and pretend life isn't happening and you have nothing you have to do, but reality is it is there, you just have to find ways to deal with it. The number one thing to do, is just step away from the work for a few minutes, and go to God. Say a prayer, telling God all your worries and stresses and ask for peace and guidance and for him to help you get through it. And also just open your Bible, there are a lot of great verses in the Bible that can help you to feel more at peace and give you great advice and reminders. And God knows when you are stressed, and knows when it is he just needs to wrap his arms around you and tell you that you will get through it. Some verses to get started with are, Philippians 4:6-7 and Matthew 11:28-30 those 2 verses are great when you need some peace of mind. Taking a few minutes to spend with God is what helped me during my most stressful times, and it was something I didn't learn to do until my senior year, and wish I knew before then. Also, find things you enjoy that can give you a stress release and a break from things. Read a book, play video games, exercise, go for a walk, write in a journal, listen to music, draw something, or what ever else it is you enjoy. Just find that one thing that can get your mind off of things. It will help you in the long run. Also, find an adult figure that can just be a good support person and can be someone to help guide you and give you sound advice and just be there for you during the rough times. Whether it be a relative, a teacher, or a pastor/youth pastor, just find that one person that you know you can go to, that person will be key and will be the biggest help to you!
So all in all, surround yourself with good people and avoid drama, be smart, put forth your best effort at all times and don't slack, enjoy life and don't miss out on the fun things that you might not get to do later down the road, have fun, get involved, and go to God during times of stress and find a good stress reliever and a good person to help you through it all. You follow these things, and I can promise High School will be much better for you, not that it won't still be hard at times, because it will, there is no avoiding things that are difficult, but hopefully this advice can help you get through the hard times and enjoy the good times! Thanks for reading!
The best advice I can give is high school is but one chapter in life. Most of your friends will turn into occasional lunch buddies. Grades are as important as your future plans. If you want to get into harvard then study hard. Otherwise most colleges B average is fine. Community college is lower yet. Gain that college degree then that is all that matters. Employers care about your degrees. Anyone that says high school is the best years is lying or hasn't lived. I enjoyed high school but I also enjoyed calvin college kuyper college my single years in my condo my married life with my wife in our house and now being a father. I also enjoyed founding a youth ministry and becoming supervisor at work. My point is that all of it is chapters in my life where I have grown within Christ. When kids ask me for advice on high school or college or anything I tell them to give it all they got lean on God and stay focused on his call on their life. And figure out who you are and who you want to be. Adulthood is fun and full of new experiences. It is not something to dread but an awesome part of life. I enjoyed my childhood don't get me wrong but I now enjoy being a husband and father. This whole comment is to make one point. Not to bash your advice but to expand upon it. High school is one chapter. Utilize it as an opportunity to become the man or woman God is calling you to become and the day you graduate be that man or woman.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with everything you said! I was more kind of focusing on advice to help High School kids enjoy their High School years and to create memories and to have happy things to look back on and not just negative things. I mean God uses negatives to shape us into who we are, too, but I don't think anyone wants to look back on any stage of their life and remember nothing but crap and stress. They want good memories to have as well. Also, I was not trying to say that growing up and being an adult sucks, there are a lot of great things about being an adult, too! Every stage of life has good moments and bad moments, it's life and it happens! And I do definitely agree on following God's call for you and be who God wants you to be and lean on him to help you find who that is. I am still learning, myself, and I look forward to what the future holds as I continue to learn and grow!
DeleteMy goal was to spark some conversation and deeper thinking. Which I think is why you started this blog and encourage comments? To dig a little deeper life is very similar to a book. You read a chapter then move on to reading the next chapter. Why? To see what happens next. When you start school you don't dwell on your diaper days. When you graduate from elementary school you move on to middle school and focus on middle school. The same goes for anything when you graduate high school you finish that chapter turn the page and read the next chapter. You don't go back and stay in that previous chapter. You let the character and plot development flow into the next chapter. I am 32 that means 28 years of my life were lived not in high school. Meaning high school is a small chunk. I spent 18 years in school including college again 4 years a small chunk. What I am trying to say is enjoy every moment in life. Live life to the full. My favorite year is the current one. I love the joys of growing old with my wife and watching my son grow up and learning new things everyday. Like a book I keep turning the page. My advice is still the same. Keep turning the page. If after a year after your graduation you see high school as the best years of your life you are wasting your life. By then you should have turned the page and have a new chapter that builds upon the character and plot development from the previous one. I look forward to some more comments to keep the conversation flowing as I think that's what you want? If not I will stop commenting.
ReplyDeleteI never said I didn't want you to comment! I am definitely all for comments! I perfectly fin with it! You are actually, making me think deeper, too. Which is kind of another reason for starting this blog, I wanted to be able to help myself grow and learn, as well as help others grow and learn. I love it, I do! And I agree to not dwell on the past, and that is important to think of the here and now. But that doesn't mean people can't reminisce from time to time, too and have a laugh about things that they did, or smile on a happy memory, either. Like I said, the original post was more to help current High Schoolers or those going into High School to just get through it, have fun, and hopefully not be too stressed and be able to create some good memories. Also, the whole post came to mind when I was reading my book and I was forced to think back on my life and look at each moment and think where God was in each moment, and to force myself to see that God was there, even when I didn't think he was. And it just kind of brought some thoughts to mind, and I decided to post. I do like the conversation! It is quite wonderful and digging deeper is always great!
DeleteReminisce is one thing trying to stay there is another. School is a high schoolers world everything revolves around school and for a lot of kids moving on is tough. They want to remain that kid with limited responsibilities and they just want to spend all day playing videogames or whatever instead of embracing responsibility for what it is growing up into the person God is calling us to be. Too many young adults are perfectly fine staying dependent on their parents and like I said stay in that high school mindset if given the chance they would just keep going to high school and making memories but school is a stepping stone to educate us for life. For becoming responsible independent adults. My interest would be on advice to seniors as they graduate high school. That advice would be relevant to a graduating 8th grader as they chart out the next four years of their life knowing what they need to accomplish in high school to be able to succeed when they graduate. Maybe thats what trej leadership should do every may with the seniors. Sorry typing out loud :)
ReplyDeleteMy last comment might come across as harsh but that was not the point a lot of my former high school friends didn't make the transition. They enjoyed getting drunk and trying to be the group we were in high school. I just wish they could see what more God had in store for them if they would just let go of high school and embraced independence and responsibility. Thats why I think writing a post with advice to seniors would be great. There is a challenge write that blog post.
ReplyDeleteoh no, it didn't come across as harsh to me. It is truth, and I know it is the truth. That is part of my journey right now, finding where God is calling me and becoming the woman God wants me to be. It is a tough journey and there are hardships, but it is part of the growing and learning. I think that would be a good post for me to write, especially as it is part of my current journey and where I am at right now in life. I will have to really think on what I want to write, though, before I write it! I thank-you for writing these comments, Dave, because you are really challenging me to think deeper about my own life and continuing my journey as I continue to Grow in God! :)
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