As my last weeks at Holy Family approach, the more I have been reminiscing on my four years here. Lately, I have been thinking about the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good- Mr. and Mrs. Bosch, all the kids in my grade, and SAD days. The bad- Mr. U’s papers and the hill on the football field when it got wet. And the Ugly- my grade in Mr. Kannel’s Pre-Calc class. All these things collectively made high school an unique and overall good experience.

As I go over everything, I’ve been thinking of the top things I wish I knew, or actually listened to, when I was going through my years of high school. So, here are my top 5 things to remember:

Number 1: Forget the drama

I know that this is probably much easier said than done, but trust me, a majority of the drama you go through in high school won’t matter within a couple of days, weeks, and definitely years.

Number 2: Branch out

You would be surprised by how many people you enjoy and end up being friends when you branch out. I have made several friends outside my friend group because I sparked up a conversation with them. Some of the best people I’ve met throughout high school are those who aren’t as similar to me or aren’t into the same things.

Number 3: Be nice

Being nice to everyone is so important in all aspects of life, but especially in high school. You never know what others are going through, so be kind. I would much rather be remembered for the kindness I showed others instead of hate.

Number 4: Actually try in school

Your grades do matter. The one thing I regret is not trying as hard my freshman and sophomore year because I thought it wasn’t important. Colleges look at your overall GPA and all your high school years play a key part in it. So, make a balance of school and your social life.

Number 5: Don’t wish it all away

Our society is very oriented on the next best thing, so it can be hard to live in the moment. My biggest advice for high school is to thoroughly enjoy it. Join clubs, go to sporting events, and make new friends. Don’t keep wishing for it to be your senior year and for it to all be over, you’ll end up being pretty sad when the time comes when you can’t see your classmates anymore. So, enjoy your high school years and live it up!