Five years. High school is only five years of your life. In the grand scheme of things, if in hindsight, it isn’t “the best years of your life,” there is so much more to come. 

High school is full of ups and downs. Friendships might end, boys are gonna disappoint you, school is going to stress you out, talking stages are gonna end, sometimes feeling like you don’t belong, earning bad grades on tests. But there will also be meeting new people, going to dances, learning to drive, joining teams and so much more. 

High school is a time of learning. The beauty of it is you can find what works best for you, how to manage your time, what you like, what you don’t like, etc. It is a time to discover more about yourself before you go off on your own and begin a new chapter in your life. At SSA, you are very fortunate to have wonderful student-teacher relationships and extracurricular activities that can assist you in understanding who you are as a person. Even if it’s simply joining a new sports team or getting a new job and then deciding you don’t like it, at least you have the experience and freedom of not being tied down. 

Additionally, we live in a very close-knit community. As time progresses, you will go on your own and decide who you want to surround yourself with. If right now you feel like you haven’t found “your people” or a stable group of friends, try to look at the new beginning college will bring, complete with new people from all over, events, clubs and more. There will be countless opportunities and something for everyone. 

As of right now, remember not to be so hard on yourself. In a few months, whatever it is you are dealing with presently will settle down. Whether it be that you did poorly in a class or you are having boyfriend problems, try to take those life lessons with you as you graduate.

High school only lasts five years, so make the most of it and if at the end of the day it isn’t “the best years of your life,” look forward to what is yet to come and be grateful for what you have now.