10 Things You Should Do In HIGH SCHOOL
High School
The best and worst time of my education experience all tangled up in one.
How was high school like for you?
Would you want to relieve it again?
I remembered during my senior year, I couldn't wait to graduate and leave it all behind. The school, the bad and hurtful memories and most of the all, the people.
I was just ready to wash my hands off them. That was the old life. A new one was waiting for me and I wasn't going to sit around and let the negative atmosphere hold me back.
I didn't want to see these people again except my friends. I just couldn't be bothered. I wanted a fresh start.
As I write this post, it has been 3 years since I graduated. Most of us went our separate ways, venturing into different courses at different universities all over the world. I would say that compared to what I was 3 years ago, my self-esteem is higher, I am much happier, I still have most of my friends and I started fresh.
Occasionally, I would run into a few of my ex-peers, ex-juniors and ex-seniors from my school. Sometimes, it would trigger some memories that I never knew had remain dormant within me, ready to reopen old wounds.
Today, whenever I look back, I realised that there are many things I have regretted not doing. My high school life has passed. I am thankful everyday for those beautiful memories that I had made with my friends. It was handful. Friends, who somewhere along the way had walked out and friends who remained till today.
There are many things that I was ignorant about back when I was in high school and I find myself compensating it today. Just like most people, I hold a few regrets for not making the most of my high school life.
Thus, I am mainly dedicating this post for those of you who will be starting high school or who are currently in high school.
1. Join sports, clubs, activities and events.
No matter how hard you try, acing the monthly school test with the perfect grade in every subject is less likely to happen. You will always have time for studies.
However, an important tip to remember is to learn how to balance both evenly on the scales.
Unless you have a certain health condition, I highly recommend you to join the sports and games. Indirectly, it helps you to stay fit, maintain a healthy lifestyle and you won't have to worry about maintaining your weight. Try out all the games at least once, you may find yourself actually loving it. Find out what you love and then stick to it.
Back in high school, I remembered I used to give many excuses mainly because I was lazy. I tried to channel all of my energy into studying and I found myself battling with eating disorder.
So, you're not into sports? Join the school's newspaper team. Participate in activities. Help out in an event.
I used to be part of the choir club in school. They participated in many competitions and even went up to the international level. I really loved singing but I quitted halfway.
I succumb to my low self-esteem because I was lonely despite being in a group, many people chose to judge me based on face value and past misdeeds.
I chose the easy way to deal with it by quitting. Something I wish till this day that I could undo.
So hey! You still need all these when you apply to college or scholarship as it would look good in your high school transcript.
2. Spend more time with your FAMILY.
Friends are great. But you see them everyday in school anyway.
Go on trips with them. Don't stay behind. Spend as much time as you possibly can while you still CAN!
It would be awfully hard once you're in college and have started working. This is also the time when our rebellious streak would act up on us.
Be patient. Love. Respect your parents, teachers and friends. You might not see it today but you will do so in the future.
3. No. He/She is NOT the love of your life.
Okay, so this point may seem a little controversial but analysing every single thing that he/she does just to determine or to know if they like you or not is just seriously a waste of your precious time.
Just be friends and don't expect more than that unless he/she says it. Also, don't hide your feelings for too long and don't be afraid to go out and tell him/her how you feel. The sooner you let them know, the less hurtful it would be for you.
I remembered being like that. I used to overanalyse everything. Then, not too long after, I remembered reading somewhere that if someone likes you, you won't even have to question that.
He/She is not the love of your life because someone, somewhere is waiting for you. Don't worry about it. :)
4. Learn a skill or two.
Despite all the homework overload, studies and activities, if you have been interested in something for a while, divulge in it. (As long as it is not harmful)
Don't wait till after the exam. Try it out. Make time for it because you might lose interest or lose your chance to try it.
High school is about discovering yourself and your interests as you grow. You are not in college yet. You are just preparing for it however you are not IN yet.
I have always been interested in languages but I would set the thought aside as I knew that I had to put studies as my main priority.
Now that I have graduated, I started learning and I realised the time I had wasted in high school could have been filled it with this.
I went to a school which had many Malaysian-Chinese students and Mandarin was widely spoken despite it being an English medium school and I could understand Mandarin. However, I am weak at communicating and I realised that I have missed out on my chance to practice and improve it.
5. Getting enough sleep.
I used to go to bed late almost everyday during the weekdays. Not because I was up completing my homework but because I was studying and chatting.
Studying and reviewing are essential after every class but I used to stress myself out by sleeping late. So, I would cram the information in my head which had deemed me to have lack of sleep and henceforth unable to cope with the following day's lessons.
This lead me to fall asleep in class (every time). Seriously, I would slump whenever there were breaks and even during lessons. It was not only disrespectful but I was no better. I was consistently tired.
Moving on to my next point...
6. FOCUS IN CLASS!
Seriously, unless it is an emergency, focus in class. You have all the time in the world to read, text, talk or go on social media later during the day.
Focusing in class actually makes it easier for you to understand later when you review your notes again. I did not realise that until very much later on.
Even though you know that you can study on your own, just focus in class. A fresh mind plus attentiveness in class contributes way more than you think.
That saves A LOT of your time, so you will have more time to rest or do whatever it is that you want to.
7. Not forgetting YOUR HOMEWORK!
Yes. Do your homework. So, you have had enough sleep, you've focused in class, all that is left to do is to complete the tasks given by teacher.
I used to procrastinate and put off my homework till the the last minute because I would study first.
It didn't help much because eventually, I had to hand in my book and I would burn the midnight oil just to get it complete. What a total waste of time. By the next day, I would be both mentally and physically tired.
Don't worry about not having enough time to study, you can review your notes after you have done it and it will be much easier for you to absorb.
Don't let your homework PILE UP!
8. Avoid creating drama or getting into unnecessary fights.
Yes do not create your own drama. You may be doing this because you think it's cool or a low-key way of letting people know what you are thinking or saying. But it only causes others to give a distorted impression about you.
Don't get into unnecessary fights. You don't need it. Hold your values close to you and keep a low profile. There is no need for you to boast or prove anything.
9. Help those who ask for it.
It depends of course. But if you are good in a certain subject or skill, don't hesitate to lend a helping hand to someone out there who might be needing it regardless whether you like the person or not.
You are not only establishing a relationship with people and building a good reputation of yourself but by teaching others, you are able to learn more, recognise your mistakes and remember what you have learned efficiently.
10. SAVE UP!
I cannot stress how important this is. Yes, save up. Going on trips with your friends during the holidays seems exciting and thrilling and you just can't wait!
But...
You need MONEY.
Of course. How are you gonna get by without money? Anyway, most people in high school works part time and they would spend most of their side income salary or allowance by going out after school, going shopping, buying expensive drinks and going out to eat at cafes.
There is nothing wrong if it is once in a while. I'm not against spending or eating out. However, if you are considering saving up, it may be time to reconsider all these spendings. Ask yourself next time, is it really necessary to buy all these clothes that are on sale?
Do I really need to spend this much on lunch or on coffee or desserts?
You'll be thankful you saved up then. :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus, I am mainly dedicating this post for those of you who will be starting high school or who are currently in high school.
1. Join sports, clubs, activities and events.
No matter how hard you try, acing the monthly school test with the perfect grade in every subject is less likely to happen. You will always have time for studies.
However, an important tip to remember is to learn how to balance both evenly on the scales.
Unless you have a certain health condition, I highly recommend you to join the sports and games. Indirectly, it helps you to stay fit, maintain a healthy lifestyle and you won't have to worry about maintaining your weight. Try out all the games at least once, you may find yourself actually loving it. Find out what you love and then stick to it.
Back in high school, I remembered I used to give many excuses mainly because I was lazy. I tried to channel all of my energy into studying and I found myself battling with eating disorder.
So, you're not into sports? Join the school's newspaper team. Participate in activities. Help out in an event.
I used to be part of the choir club in school. They participated in many competitions and even went up to the international level. I really loved singing but I quitted halfway.
I succumb to my low self-esteem because I was lonely despite being in a group, many people chose to judge me based on face value and past misdeeds.
I chose the easy way to deal with it by quitting. Something I wish till this day that I could undo.
So hey! You still need all these when you apply to college or scholarship as it would look good in your high school transcript.
2. Spend more time with your FAMILY.
Friends are great. But you see them everyday in school anyway.
Go on trips with them. Don't stay behind. Spend as much time as you possibly can while you still CAN!
It would be awfully hard once you're in college and have started working. This is also the time when our rebellious streak would act up on us.
Be patient. Love. Respect your parents, teachers and friends. You might not see it today but you will do so in the future.
3. No. He/She is NOT the love of your life.
Just be friends and don't expect more than that unless he/she says it. Also, don't hide your feelings for too long and don't be afraid to go out and tell him/her how you feel. The sooner you let them know, the less hurtful it would be for you.
I remembered being like that. I used to overanalyse everything. Then, not too long after, I remembered reading somewhere that if someone likes you, you won't even have to question that.
He/She is not the love of your life because someone, somewhere is waiting for you. Don't worry about it. :)
4. Learn a skill or two.
Despite all the homework overload, studies and activities, if you have been interested in something for a while, divulge in it. (As long as it is not harmful)
Don't wait till after the exam. Try it out. Make time for it because you might lose interest or lose your chance to try it.
High school is about discovering yourself and your interests as you grow. You are not in college yet. You are just preparing for it however you are not IN yet.
I have always been interested in languages but I would set the thought aside as I knew that I had to put studies as my main priority.
Now that I have graduated, I started learning and I realised the time I had wasted in high school could have been filled it with this.
I went to a school which had many Malaysian-Chinese students and Mandarin was widely spoken despite it being an English medium school and I could understand Mandarin. However, I am weak at communicating and I realised that I have missed out on my chance to practice and improve it.
5. Getting enough sleep.
I used to go to bed late almost everyday during the weekdays. Not because I was up completing my homework but because I was studying and chatting.
Studying and reviewing are essential after every class but I used to stress myself out by sleeping late. So, I would cram the information in my head which had deemed me to have lack of sleep and henceforth unable to cope with the following day's lessons.
This lead me to fall asleep in class (every time). Seriously, I would slump whenever there were breaks and even during lessons. It was not only disrespectful but I was no better. I was consistently tired.
Moving on to my next point...
6. FOCUS IN CLASS!
Seriously, unless it is an emergency, focus in class. You have all the time in the world to read, text, talk or go on social media later during the day.
Focusing in class actually makes it easier for you to understand later when you review your notes again. I did not realise that until very much later on.
Even though you know that you can study on your own, just focus in class. A fresh mind plus attentiveness in class contributes way more than you think.
That saves A LOT of your time, so you will have more time to rest or do whatever it is that you want to.
7. Not forgetting YOUR HOMEWORK!
Yes. Do your homework. So, you have had enough sleep, you've focused in class, all that is left to do is to complete the tasks given by teacher.
I used to procrastinate and put off my homework till the the last minute because I would study first.
It didn't help much because eventually, I had to hand in my book and I would burn the midnight oil just to get it complete. What a total waste of time. By the next day, I would be both mentally and physically tired.
Don't worry about not having enough time to study, you can review your notes after you have done it and it will be much easier for you to absorb.
Don't let your homework PILE UP!
8. Avoid creating drama or getting into unnecessary fights.
Yes do not create your own drama. You may be doing this because you think it's cool or a low-key way of letting people know what you are thinking or saying. But it only causes others to give a distorted impression about you.
Don't get into unnecessary fights. You don't need it. Hold your values close to you and keep a low profile. There is no need for you to boast or prove anything.
9. Help those who ask for it.
It depends of course. But if you are good in a certain subject or skill, don't hesitate to lend a helping hand to someone out there who might be needing it regardless whether you like the person or not.
You are not only establishing a relationship with people and building a good reputation of yourself but by teaching others, you are able to learn more, recognise your mistakes and remember what you have learned efficiently.
10. SAVE UP!
I cannot stress how important this is. Yes, save up. Going on trips with your friends during the holidays seems exciting and thrilling and you just can't wait!
But...
You need MONEY.
Of course. How are you gonna get by without money? Anyway, most people in high school works part time and they would spend most of their side income salary or allowance by going out after school, going shopping, buying expensive drinks and going out to eat at cafes.
There is nothing wrong if it is once in a while. I'm not against spending or eating out. However, if you are considering saving up, it may be time to reconsider all these spendings. Ask yourself next time, is it really necessary to buy all these clothes that are on sale?
Do I really need to spend this much on lunch or on coffee or desserts?
You'll be thankful you saved up then. :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, those are 10 THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD DO IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I regretted not doing those things back then, some I managed to do during my senior year but I wished I had started earlier. It is not that I can't do them now, I am compensating what I missed out or refused to do in high school as it is never too late.
The most important key however is "balance". Everyone knows that but practicing it is better said than done. Study is equally important but do make the most out of your high school experience because you are only a high schooler once.
The environment and atmosphere is different then. The memories will live within us forever. So, choose to make the most out of it.
"Everyday is a new day to rectify yesterday's actions. Chin up! :) "
Over and out~ :)
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