You asked me once if highschool was hard; here is my response.
Short answer: yes, highschool was hard for me. It was during the most turbulent years of mom and dads divorce, which put a damper on things. I’m glad that won’t be as big an issue for you. I put myself into the hardest classes possible, because I had seen my older friends do that, and I didn’t know any different. I hope that you see that you should only tackle what you’re capable of, you don’t need to push yourself too hard. I lost friends year after year, and sometimes, it was really really lonely.
But here is a better and a little more complicated answer: I believe, wholeheartedly, that highschool is what you make of it. I have made many mistakes, but also done many things right, and I hope you can learn from me.
Here are a few things I did well:
While you do have some required classes, for the most part, (and if you have a good enough relationship with your counselor) you can choose your classes. That’s how I ended up in ceramics 2, as a freshman... I begged and bartered. That class was a pivotal moment for me (both because of the boy who said, “if you want a real man, let me take you out and I’ll take you on a super awesome date like to lagoon or something,”in response to me saying i had a boyfriend (which was a very strange interaction). And it was also impactful because it was the first class where I realized your teachers can become your allies and your friends). I chose that course, and it taught me a lesson. Choose the classes you want to take, you will learn the most and have the most fun that way.
On a similar note, when in classes you are not fond of, realize there is still plenty to learn. I was never fond of AP calculus, and while I did not learn enough to pass the AP test, I did learn a lot. I learnt that Mr Hogan loves pudding, that math memes will always be relevant, and that clash of clans is back baby!
Sometimes, learning about the people around you can be more valuable than what you are learning in your classes. It’s no new news to you lil, that our beliefs, and how we were raised, differ from many of those around us. This is not a disadvantage; instead use it as a driving force. Learning about other people’s backstories, beliefs, and feelings has made me more empathetic, more open minded. If I had not tried to keep an open mind about people who view the world differently I would never have made as many good friends in school and most importantly I never would have found the love of my life: Cody Chew.
Here are some things I wish I had done differently:
If you want to do something, do it, even if it’s embarrassing. My ex-theatre kid's heart yearned to be on the stage every time I watched the talent show. I never tried out for it, not once in my four years. I got scared. I would have been good too. I would have sung Katy Perry or something or maybe done a little jig. The kids would have loved it. *sing katy perry while doing the jig*
Find time. My junior year I wanted to try out for exec, but didn’t. I wrote a skit and everything, but dropped out at the last minute because I thought I wouldn’t have enough time to make it really good. Little did I know, the rap I wrote for the skit still is good to this day. Heyo its emi im wearing a t i got a bruise on my knee but its like nbd. Bars. If you want to do something, find the time, it will be worth it.
Here are some final thoughts: you don’t need to go to football games, knowing the epic highs and lows of highschool football is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Being the teacher's pet is a good thing. They do have favorites, and you will get free food.
Always, and I mean always, be your true self. If people make fun of you, give me a call and your big sis will beat them up. or at least give them a little scare.
Join a sport. Being on a team with people who have to go through the daily battle of doing pushups with you brings people together; and don’t even get me started about running. Plus, it gives you an excuse to be crazy buff. (Just don’t join hockey, that's my thing).
And most of all, remember to always keep learning. It almost doesn’t matter what.
Anyways, I hope that this helped answer your question. High school might not be great, but it’s not supposed to be. It is supposed to be weird, and funny, and kinda smelly and you are supposed to grow from all of it . You have had a really complicated and pretty difficult life for how old you are, but I promise that while high school is still really hard, life gets better as you become older and more confident. You deserve to be confident. You will do amazing in high school. Well, realistically probably not, but you will get through it. All of these people did *gesture to the crowd.*
I love you lots lili,
Sincerely, your sister (voted hottest in the school).