High school can be a very dull time in your life. Of course, this is not the case for everyone, but between the stress of grades, growing, learning time management, career searching, and college applications, high school can be ridiculously stressful.  

You probably grew up idolizing high school. Watching movies with romance, parties and perfect grades. Either participating in or watching the homecoming parade, brimming with pure excitement for the day you will get to dress up and be a part of a school dance. The truth for a lot of us is high school is not even close to what we imagined. Your experience might not be exactly what you were expecting, and if this applies to you then here is a guide to making it better.

Grades

If you are a freshman, you are likely either very worried about grades, or do not care much at all. Neither is great. If you spend the first half of your high school years getting low grades you will end up one of the millions of upperclassmen saying how much you regret it.

 Stressing about perfection can lead not only to depression but also dangerous health concerns. A student should work for their grades, not live for them. Any grade that comes out of that balance is perfectly fine.

Judgment 

In school there will always be people to judge you. No matter the way you wear your hair and how you dress, someone will form an opinion on whether you look good or bad. Do not try to get around it, instead you should work on how you see yourself. Dress how you like, and look how you want to. 

This is a time of your life when you are figuring out who you are. Experimenting with different ways of expressing yourself is healthy. For example, people who dress in unique and cute outfits always get good attention and a reputation for being fashionable. 

Activities 

The difference between a monotonous high school life and a happy one is often just participation. Sports and clubs are a fantastic way to make sure you always have more fulfilling goals and exciting moments to brighten your days. In addition, taking time to attend sports games of any kind can help you develop a sense of community in your school. 

You should also give school dances a chance. Many students tend to skip them, go for only the first hour, or attend a full one on a year where the music is bad and obtain a false impression of them. A lot of dances are so much fun; you need to go into a few and stay with an open mind before deciding if you like them or not.

Future

From the time you set foot into high school the decision of what to do with your future will be hanging over your head, growing bigger and bigger until it seems to block out all overhead light. The truth is, there is more time to figure things out than you think there is. You can always go straight into the workforce, find yourself, and then decide what is next later. Just relax and use some of our school’s resources to explore careers bound to result in your happiness and well being.

Outlook

The most important thing to being successful in any place is to be happy, because that is what real success is. What is the point of a 4.0 and six extracurriculars if there is no joy in your life? What you do, you should do for you. If you are looking for higher education, colleges like if you genuinely enjoy what you do. 

Wake up and make your bed because you want a clean room. Work hard because you want money to live out your dreams. Participate in a sport because you will have fun. Most importantly, prioritize your joy. That can mean now or long term.

Conclusion

Whatever grade you are in will present its own challenges, but the truth is we make it harder for ourselves than it needs to be in order to hit goals that may not matter long term, whether it be a ridiculous resume, or for everyone to like you. Whatever you do, try to make sure you are putting effort into a goal and stay happy and healthy.