Most people will tell you that “high school is a blur” or “it’s a short four years,” and they’re not wrong. It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman, but, in reality, I’ve been making fun of freshmen for the past three years. While they’re definitely not the most important years of your life, they are important in the sense that it’ll most likely be your last real chance to be a kid. Most people don’t realize that. Yes, many high schoolers have jobs, which is honestly good for them, but most don’t realize that life changes even more once high school ends.
So go trick-or-treating. Go to the park, swing on the swings, and go down the slides. Do the “childish” things that you might think you’re too old for. One day, you’ll miss how simple it felt to laugh with your friends on a random night, or how easy it was to decide that doing nothing together was somehow the best plan. Be a kid when you get the chance, because once you graduate, your free time shrinks, responsibilities grow, and the world expects a lot more from you — sometimes more than you expect from yourself.
On the other hand, being mature like an adult isn’t a bad thing either. Acting like a kid doesn’t mean you get to throw tantrums or whine when things don’t go your way. It means knowing the difference between having fun and being inconsiderate. High school is a place where you learn that balance: how to enjoy life while also showing respect, staying responsible, and understanding that your choices affect more than just you.
“Just because I want to build the biggest building doesn’t mean I need to break others down to do it.” That’s a phrase my dad has always told my brothers and I, and it’s something I’ve truly begun to live by. In high school, you’ll meet people who think that being loud or rude or superior somehow makes them important. It doesn’t. It’s choosing not to add to drama just because you can. It’s being the type of person others feel safe talking to. It’s understanding that success doesn’t come from stepping on people, but from lifting yourself without pushing others down.
Some people walk into high school expecting it to be like High School Musical or Mean Girls, but it’s nothing like that. There are no spontaneous songs, no perfectly choreographed routines that everyone magically knows, and no dramatic, color-coded cliques running the halls. Honestly? Thank God.
Sure, groups of friends form; that’s expected and normal. But at Mead High School, it seems like almost everyone talks to everyone. You’ll find that the person you sit next to in class can become an unexpected close friend, or that someone you barely know can make your entire day with a single joke or kind comment. And yes, there will be drama and petty arguments, that’s just part of life, but the good news is that most of it fades once high school is behind you. The things that seem like the end of the world sophomore year become something you laugh about later because you realize how far you’ve come.
So if there’s any advice worth remembering as you go through high school, it’s this:
Don’t rush growing up. Don’t waste energy trying to fit into a version of yourself that doesn’t feel right. Be kind even when no one’s watching. Surround yourself with people who make you feel like you belong. And most importantly, appreciate the small moments, because they’re the ones that stay with you long after the caps and gowns are put away.
