I’m not here to give you advice about high school and what to do and not to do in high school. I’m simply going to share my experience because that’s what I would label it as: an experience.

My first year of high school was online due to the COVID-19 era that we all loved, where I could sleep through almost all my classes and still get good grades; where I had my own schedule as to when I wanted get things done.

My second year of high school was mask mandated in-person experience. I stuck to the same friends that I had since eighth grade and made some new ones, but I would only call them acquaintances at that time. I discovered the fact that people are not going to like me or create problems with me for no reason. I learned that people are mean and that even though they may have gone through something in the past or at the moment, that is no reason for them to treat anyone badly. Own up to your mistakes and action: don’t blame it on something that isn’t someone else’s fault. That makes you just as bad a person and will not help you with whatever you’re going through, most likely just make you feel worse.

Not having everyone’s like is given in this world, but being friendly to everyone regardless of their looks, interests, and personality overall helped me in life. Over these years of high school, I have learned to be nice to everyone that I meet and be comfortable being uncomfortable, traveling the pathway ad connections from being friendly and nonjudgemental. An overall person that is universal and well liked by everyone can open doors that you would never look at. You never know what kind of connections a person has that can benefit you. Not only does it open pathways, it makes you a more social person and people will come to you and find comfort in your presence. 

I have developed into a person who can use all of these skills and apply them to my life as an adult to further myself. I will say that I am more focused on myself and sculpting myself into the person I want to become. Whether thats going to the gym, studying, opening more doors, making more money, I am furthering myself rather than helping people. I feel as though I can not help somebody completely further themselves until I can achieve that myself.

I would give my high school experience an overall 6/10; it wasn’t horribly bad and I didn’t get bad grades, my heart broken, into fights, nothing drastic happened. I give it that score due to the environment and opportunity I was given: being in a school where I can find a bathroom some days because there are girls doing something bad or where I feel that teachers are not teaching me and I am unable to fully learn. 

The teachers in my senior yer for the most part have truly been the best. The trick that I have been using since I have been in middle school: be cool with the teacher. Always greeting my teachers with a good moring, hows your day going, have a good one. Overall, I talked to them like a human being and not so much as a teacher. Sure, I am respecting them as they are my teacher, but I’m also treating them like the person the are. Getting mad that they graded your test wrong or they explained something poorly and resorting right to screaming is not the way to go. Being overall nice and growing connections with teacher allows you to open more academic doors. They made it in their life, so the people they have met along their journey can be a reference to you or help you grow connections aswell. 

As a person, I have grown and also grown a closer relationship with God, continuing to grow that relationship and find more time to spend with God. Even though I did not like my high school experience, it was still an experience that shaped me into the person I am today.