Graduation. You receive your diploma, shake your principal’s hand, get your final glimpses of the students you spent the majority of your childhood with, and tip your hat in the air. It’s the end of a long, memorable road, and you’ve earned every mile that you have driven up to this point. There may have been some bumps along the way or fast turns, but this is where you’ll finally get a shot at the fast lane; the real world. Picture it this way, every single person, challenge, experience or “speed bump,” was preparation for the unique, strong adult you are about to become.
For me, being a second semester senior, I literally feel like freshman year was only yesterday. My first day of high school I remember walking into the boys bathroom and getting lost in about every single hallway, while having the fear of not making the most out of my next 4 years. Now, I pull up to school with a strong, “I got this” and “don’t mess with me” senior mentality. The amount of self-accomplishment from all of the classes I have taken while finding school activities that I am passionate about along the way have been my sources of achievement at Mira Costa. (Although I still somehow manage to occasionally catch myself almost walking into the boys bathroom). In addition, the anticipation that I contain is increasing day-by-day until graduation.
To society and all the underclassmen, I am perceived as one who has everything down. The grades, extra-curriculars, and now a senior who can just relax and wait for college acceptance letters. This is slightly accurate. Although I do feel accomplished, there are a few important tips that I believe are valuable to share with any student as I would have loved to hear as an underclassmen.
- Never leave any words unsaid.
-The amount of friends I have gone through over my high school career is tremendous. Mostly because we had lack of communication and began to slip away from each other. Therefore, I recommend to never be afraid to express how you feel. Even if it’s telling an old friend that you miss them, because there’s a good chance they are feeling the same way especially if the disconnection between you two was from something simple, such as a small disagreement. Even if you both will attend colleges on the opposite sides of the country, it’s always satisfying to part on good terms and keep in mind of the positive memories you both shared together while never forgetting about the important role they played on your childhood.
2. Spend some time embracing the activities your high school has to offer.
-You only spend a short, 4 years of your life in high school. (hopefully). Even if you can’t stand being on campus for more than 7 hours of school every day, take the time every once in a while to spend 1 at a school-related sporting event or activity like the dodgeball tournaments. It’s a great way to make friends and memories outside the classroom while getting to know the familiar faces you see in the hallway every day, and now it will be normal to say “hey” instead of acting like you don’t know each other. This also includes school programs. For me, I joined the Mustang Morning News as a sophomore. Although it has been extra work, I truly found a place on campus where feel like I belong, met a group of outstanding individuals, and know that I am making a difference with the work I am producing. In my opinion, that is worth more than any letter grade.
3. Make the most out of your classes and teachers.
-For me, I’ve never had much interest in classes like math and Spanish. However, I’ve realized the best thing to do is be interactive with your classmates/participate in class, even if you aren’t interested in the topic. Also, to not be afraid of people judging what you have to say. It will make you more comfortable around your classmates and class time will go by faster. Most importantly, you will be more open towards talking to your teachers and asking questions which will 100% improve your grade. In addition, when it comes to returning to those classes during your senior year and awkwardly asking teachers for college recommendation letters, it will be a piece of cake for them. Because instead of not having much to say about you since you quietly observed in the back of the room, you’ll have a teacher be able to say you were a memorable role/participant in the class.
4. Take classes that not only interest you, but where you will succeed.
-Throughout high school I stressed over the idea of taking challenging classes that look “good” for colleges. Although it may impress schools, it is crucial that you take courses where you will recieve proficient grades. Being admitted into college is incredibly competitive these days and unfortunately, to some schools you are simply a number, especially when it comes down to applying to a school that has received over 80 thousand applications. Lastly, colleges want to know that you have excellent study skills and that they can be assured that you will be academically successful if admitted to their campus.
5. High school isn’t for everyone, seriously.
-With the competitiveness that goes on in high school, (Mira Costa especially) it is important to remember that you have a whole life ahead of you and some letters on a transcript or the words that people may say do not define you. It is an incredible flaw in today’s education where they teach students that they will be promised with success if they meet a certain statistic and judge one’s intelligence/self-worth off of some biased standard. The truth is, many people can’t even find the jobs they thought they would be promised since they received a certain GPA and high-end diploma. Don’t get me wrong, college is extremely important, but it’s the involvement a student partakes in on campus that plays an even bigger role. Those that are truly successful are the ones that have made a impact in their community and weren’t afraid to be different,
and different is beautiful.
