If you were to ask any previous graduates about high school, they’d probably say something about how it structures the most formative years of your life; some might tell you it’s an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience, whereas others shudder at the thought. In any case, it’s undeniably influential.
The beginning of freshman year is built around the exhilaration of newfound independence. It’s easy to find yourself, during this time, basking in the high of having settled into a new friend group, meeting new people, juggling challenging classes all the while seeking intrigue in trying new things; there’s no doubt that high school can foster joy in friendship and experience, but things can go wrong, and naturally so.
In entering a new stage of life that had been worked up to be larger than anything we’d ever been exposed to, many of us create expectations of high school that are momentous and life-defining. We tend to think we’ll finally find ourselves and where we belong, albeit some more than others, but the pressure can be a lot to deal with nonetheless. Teenage failure can feel soul-crushing. Whether it’s socially, academically or otherwise, we’re not taught what happens when we inevitably struggle and fail in high school, and in a world that thrives off of neatly curated success stories and perfect social media ideals, seeing ourselves struggle repeatedly feels wrong.
The truth is that failure is human. Nobody goes into something for the first time and emerges completely unscathed. Failure is not only normal, but absolutely necessary for us to grow and learn, especially as still-developing teenagers. It’s hard to accept that you’re going to make mistakes no matter what, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to be permanent. High school can’t define who you are, nor can it determine the rest of your life if you don’t let it. If you choose to be proactive and make consistent efforts to grow from your mistakes and be more than you were yesterday, not only will better things follow you, but you’ll be better for them too.
Although you’re bound to make a lot of mistakes, and there will be times when you feel low and discouraged, there will also be a lot of good. The benefit of high school is that it gives you the ability to choose; from the classes you want to take, any clubs that pique your interest the people you want to surround yourself with, etc. Should you not know what you want, you’re given ample time and opportunity to try out different things and figure out who you, at least as a teenager, are.
Four years might seem like a long time in hindsight, but once you’re waiting out the last few weeks of your senior year, you’ll hardly be able to tell where the time went. Everybody struggles, whether they share it or not; the best you can do is move forward and make the most of the time you have now.