I Barely Made It

Today I would like to start with giving a big thank you to high school for bringing me through some of the worst experiences and allowing me to meet people that have shown me what I would never want in a friend. But where is the fun in high school without the drama and toxicity? Although I greatly appreciate the bad moments because without them, the best moments wouldn’t feel as rewarding, but I could have definitely done without them. I’ve been forced to learn lessons that I didn’t want to learn because of people that couldn’t hold up their side of the friendship or relationship. When I was freshly into high school, I was not focused on myself at all. I took all my time worrying about other people and what they thought of me. The worst part is how I was worried about how I could better my life just to fit in around the people I shouldn’t have even been hanging around with. I had so much potential and it only made me less of a person than what I could’ve been. I want to thank those people that made my life so rough because it ended up making me feel like I deserve even more, but lesson learned, never lose focus on yourself and your goals to make someone feel better about having you around. 

One very unintentional thing that I wish I didn’t have to learn but have and will forever take away from the high school experience, is that you should never over share. Because it turns out your friend’s friend will end up finding out and then their friend will too. It is a never ending cycle of, “That isn’t what happened,” or, “I never even said that about her.” Another thing I learned, and this one is completely my fault, is that I have really bad time management. Although that was completely intentional, and I could’ve got my work done on time and showed up to school before the first bell, I just didn’t want to, which really negatively affected my performance in school. A positive lesson that I will take is that being a friend to everyone not only makes other people feel more comfortable and happy to be around you, but also that it makes your life more positive and genuine. 

I wish I would have taken more opportunities to be involved and make more friends, I really missed out on that. Also participating in more school activities and making time for myself to achieve higher things. Although I did take some opportunities, it took me a while to branch out to get there. I took classes I would’ve never thought to take as a nervous little freshman and I am glad to say I have really enjoyed a few of them, especially film studies because I watched all those movies and did not do a thing. I’m so sorry Mrs. Chick, that was simply embarrassing for me but I appreciate the time I got to spend with Kelsey playing hill climb.  The biggest comparison I can think of is sophomore me to senior me. I completely broke out of my shell. I was so anxious to be at school when I was in tenth grade that I begged my dad to switch me to online school. Now I am volunteering to present this speech about me and my life first. Sixteen year old me would be amazed. I imagined myself having many more accomplishments at the end of high school than I have. I mean my GPA isn’t even over a three, I’m finishing strong with a whole 2.7. In reality I thought I was going to have known what I wanted to be and do with my life after graduating, but turns out I still don’t. Ironically, I wanted to be a school teacher when I was little, and that was the biggest lie I ever told myself because after this I never want to step foot into another building with people telling me when I can and can’t go to the bathroom again. I do hope my future brings great things though, because as of right now I’m struggling to figure myself out. I would love to still have relationships with all the people in my life from school and continue to watch each other grow into amazing people, and to also get a few dogs because let’s face it, I’m going to be alone forever after how my high school relationship went. But coming to the end of my years that I was forced to attend school, I am happy to admit that the last one was the best. Although I don’t ever see myself saying something like, “I wish I could go back,” or, “Those were the best years of my life,” I will probably end up saying them when I’m eighty and giving my great grandchildren advice on why they should appreciate school and all the silly little things that they believe to be their biggest worries at the time. High school has really shaped me into the person I am today, and honestly I was hoping for better. So on that note it is my turn to give it a one out of four just like all my grades in my classes before the semester ends because of my bad time management and carefree attitude. But at the end of the day I truly enjoyed all the good and bad times. So now I am wishing all the future classes and my fellow graduates good luck as we enter the toughest years of our lives. 

“Graduation Day” by kevin dooley is licensed under CC BY 2.0.