Transition Into College

High school is a huge stepping stone in a young adult’s life. This is a time of growing mentally and physically. Most lessons are learned during this time period and this is also the time to “find yourself.” Your hormones are raging; you care too much about what people think of you, and don’t know whether or not you’re a kid or an adult. Add all of that up, plus the pressure to be perfect, multiplied by the hours of homework, and divided by the amount of energy drinks it takes to stay awake and you have the perfect formula for a mental hazard. Incidentally, this is also the formula that equals teenagers. Let’s do the math, mental hazard= teenager. You may be thinking that I’m over- exaggerating. Sorry to say, I’m not, but the good news is it’s preparing them for the real world, which believe it or not, is not candy canes and rainbows. Lessons you learn in the teenage years: who you want to be friends with, what you are interested in, and what kind of person all of this makes you out to be. College is the next step in a young adult’s life and the lessons they learned in high school will help them conquer their difficulties throughout college and the rest of their lives. Starting with the biggest lesson that will follow you throughout life; who do you want to be friends with? This is focused mainly in older kids because young children haven’t been around long enough to develop bad habits. Teenagers are so insecure that they may latch onto the first group that accepts them. Remember that even though it doesn’t seem like a big deal, it has the potential to be forever tattooed upon your forehead. Don’t hang with the wrong crowd! If what they do makes you uncomfortable (drugs, alcohol, vandalism, other types of tomfoolery) then why are you still there? Are they mean, rude, selfish, bullies, or just your general rabble-rousers? Chances are it’s time to split. It may seem like a daunting task, but it will be better for you in the long run. “Friends” isn’t just contained to friends. It also includes those “special” friends. Boy or a girl, your hormones are raging and you have to have a boyfriend/girlfriend! All your friends do! This way of thinking is the leading cause of girls curled up crying in the bathroom, jealousy, fights, and the overall feeling of drama that blankets schools. Girls, you don’t need a boyfriend, in fact, more boys want you if you don’t. It’s the old saying “they want what they can’t have”. Just have a lot of guy friends, hang out, have fun, and you don’t have to worry about your boyfriend getting jealous or angry. Your boyfriend doesn’t define you, You define you. Guys, girls can be cruel and manipulative. Why would you want to start dealing with that before you have to? Have friend and don’t make anything awkward, save that for college, chicks dig shy guys. Another discovery in high school is what you are interested in; such a simple sentence that holds so much weight. What you are interested in is very important. It will help you decide your goals, priorities, classes, college, jobs, and ultimately, your future. If you like sports, you need to measure how good you are at it, see if it is a realistic goal to set for yourself, and then put your all into it. If you think academics are more your speed, give it your all. It is important to set goals for yourself, otherwise you are working towards nothing and can be easily distracted. Your goals will help you get your priorities in order. Choices will come up, choices like, go to the party tonight, or stay home and study for that big test? Practice basketball or play video games? It’s all about your priorities, what you perceive to be more important. Don’t get me wrong, it’s important to have fun, but make sure it is the correct time. Your priorities will play a big part in deciding what classes you take in high school. Do you want to take all AP classes, or just in the subjects that interest you? Do you want to play basketball, or go to a class that is in that same time slot? College classes will be decided by the classes you took in high school and-here it is again- what you are interested in. Your occupation- you’ll never guess- is decided by all of these things. Each one is connected in some way. Factors that will help you decide on your job: personal goals, your priorities, high school classes taken, and college classes taken. Isn’t it funny how it all comes together? What does all this mean? How has this taught us anything? Every teenager is looking everywhere to find themself. They look to other people, things, hobbies, and try to use those like stickers to define themselves. In our teenage years we will go through drama, heartbreak, insanity, depression, and mania. We will make new friends, lose old friends, grow with people, and grow apart. We will cry, laugh, drink too many energy drinks, stay up too late, finish our project on the morning it’s due, and all of this tells us who we are. Are you a bully? Who are you? What do other people see you as? How do your words and actions add up? All of these questions and more are asked and answered in the same building that teaches you algebra. High school is a very definite period. You learn many lessons. Who your friends are and who you want them to be, your priorities and what interests you, who you are and how you are perceived. Yes, the teenage years are awful, but also wonderful. There might be pain, but you can rest assures there will be hope tomorrow. Teenagers are fragile, but they are also resilient. Try knocking them down and you will see just how fast they’ll get up.