Oh, high school-you’re never really prepared for it, are you?
And for you, class of 2024, you’re even less prepared, because absolutely no one can tell you what this year will be like for you. Everything is going to be different. I mean, I didn’t have to plan my first day of freshman year outfit around the color of a mask. But you already know that this year is going to be different, so we’re not going to talk about that. We’re going to talk about the parts of high school that will still be the same for you (at some point), and the ones that I experienced.
I’d love to go back and talk to “freshman me”
I look back on my freshmen year and desperately wish that I could tell the little freshman me a thing or two. For starters, I would tell her not to wear that outfit on the first day of school, because when she looks back at the pictures of it in a couple years she’s going to wonder why on earth that was the shirt she chose to wear on the day she kick-started her high school career. Since I can’t go back and help myself, I want to offer some of the things I’ve learned to you.
Your high school career is going to look different than anyone else’s before you, but different doesn’t have to mean bad. So, class of 2024, here are some things this class of 2021 girl has learned, and that she hopes will help you as you navigate these next four years. Needless to say, for starters, choose your first day of school outfit carefully, as to hopefully avoid future regret.
9 things you should know about high school
- Your friend group will change throughout high school. That is okay. It might not be easy, but it is and will be okay.
- If it makes you happy, it’s okay (and actually the best choice) to do the stereotypical “uncool” thing. “Fitting in” is never going to bring you the memories and happiness that doing that thing, the one that some people classify as weird, will.
- It’s normal for your interests to change over the years. What you can’t imagine not doing your freshman year might be what you (happily) quit your junior year.
- You don’t have to find your lifelong, they’re going to be in my wedding type of friends at your high school, or in your high school years at all.
- It’s normal to feel lonely- you’d be surprised about who else feels the same way. You’re going to have regrets about more significant things than merely poor outfit choices. It’s okay, and it’s a part of life that will help you grow.
- Sometimes, you have to be the one to be bold, even if that’s hard for you.
- You may go through things you never expected yourself to experience in these years. This does not make you a failure, or weird, or wrong, or anything else.
- Not everyone is going to like you (that does not mean that you’re unlikeable).
- High school can bring you great moments and memories, but they may not all come easily. They may require you to step outside of your comfort zone, but it will be worth it.
So I can’t tell you if most/all of your classes will be online, or if you’ll get a chance to go to your freshman homecoming. But I can tell you that while high school is hard (and not just the classes), it’s also a crucial time in your life, and one that can be amazing, and one that I hope that you make the most of, even if you have to make the most of it while wearing a mask.
So good luck to you, Class of 2024. I hope that you can learn a thing or two from my experience, and that you embrace this part of your life. And I hope that you don’t go on to regret the outfit you choose to wear on your first day of school.
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