What I Regret Most About High School and How You Can Avoid the Same Regrets

While I realize those, who are currently in high school are facing new challenges with the pandemic and virtual school, there are a couple of pieces of advice I want to share with them. After graduation and entering college, I realized how many opportunities and chances I had wasted simply because my mindset was focused on the future. So here are five things I wish I had done differently in high school:

1. Go to all the dances (virtual or not): Life is so short, and you never know what will happen, so dress up and dance. You do not have to have the perfect outfit or the best dance moves when you are having fun with your friends. There aren’t a lot of opportunities once you leave high school to dress up for no reason with all of your friends. So, take every opportunity you can to throw on your favorite shoes, best outfit, and a group of friends to have a great time. These are the memories that will last when you reflect on your best times in high school.
2. Participate in Spirit Week: I know it sounds super stupid and spirit weeks are silly, but they are only seen in high school. Try to participate in every single one because they are meant to be fun. The more people who participate the better the spirit week is. One day you dress as whoever you want to be in the future and the next you can dress like a senior citizen, and the themes can be taken seriously or as a joke. It is almost like Halloween for a week at school and while some theme days are simple, like class colors, it is fun. I suggest doing as much as you can and make sure your friends do it too. 
3. Go on spontaneous adventures with your friends: Being a teenager is fun despite all the ups and downs of life, it is the time in life in which you are both free but constrained at the same time. While stuck in whatever city or town you live in, there is a lot you can do that you do not realize. So, if you can, grab your friends and go on a fun adventure in your town. Hike a new trail, go wander around Target aimlessly, drive around and find a new place to eat, or even just go to a park and have a picnic. Make fun memories while you do not have many responsibilities with your hometown friends. The more adventures you have, the more memories. 
4. Avoid drama because it really is not worth your time: Drama is a part of life, but it is not hard to avoid. Everything seems like the most important thing happening at the time, but in reality, the small things do not matter. It does not matter what that one person said about you or how your partner-in-crime’s ex is posting stuff to make you jealous. Your happiness and mental health aremore important than whatever drama is happening. Focus on yourself and take on a care-free attitude about what others think or say. What happens in high school will seem childish when you enter college, and you will realize how much time and effort you spent on unnecessary drama.
5. Join clubs you want to, not the ones you think will look good: One thing I truly regret is making myself join clubs in high school that I didn’t want to simply because I thought it would look good on my college resume. Those clubs did not really matter besides the fact that I was involved at school. Make high school fun and be involved with clubs you will be happy in rather than have to force yourself to be in. Like anime? Join an anime club! Enjoy helping animals? Join an animal volunteer club? If they do not have a club you are interested in, make one! Nothing looks better than saying you founded and led a new club at your school. 

Overall, I hope you have a great time in high school and find memories to reflect upon once you go to college. Even in college there are endless opportunities, and you can apply some of these tips of advice to college. Have fun and be safe!

• high school
• life