Friday, August 26, 2011

5 Tips For Making The Most Of Your High School Experience


We all approach back to school time with different attitudes. Some of us are anxious and terrified, others are anxious and excited. The best attitude to have whether this is your first year at a new school or not is a positive one. If you go in with a positive attitude you are more likely to have a positive experience. Instead of entering the year with a sense of dread and despair, go into the experience with reasonable expectations and a set of positive goals. Here are a few things to consider as you start the new school year that will help you to make the most of your experience.


1.) Stay True To Yourself.
Know what your standards and convictions are and stay true to them. Pressures are all around us and can often be more intense within the school setting. We all have this longing for acceptance and desire to be popular or well-liked but don't compromise your morals or your goals in order to please others. Each time you give in to pressure and do something you don't really want to do and you know is not truly in your best interest (whether it be drugs, sex, or cheating on an exam) you are settling for second best. The truth is you are EPIC and deserve an EPIC future. Don't blow future opportunities because you gave in to unwanted pressures. It may help you to write a list of goals and expectations for yourself and keep this list in your locker or backpack or somewhere you can easily return to it so you can frequently remind yourself of your bright future and ask yourself what choices will help you reach your goals as well as what choices will negatively effect your goals.


2.) Choose Your Friends Carefully.
Good friends promote good choices and bad company corrupts good morals. Having good, sound friends will help you stay strong in your convictions and assist you in reaching your goals by reinforcing healthy choices and good decisions. We choose who we surround ourselves with. Surround yourself with friends who will strengthen and encourage you to live a healthy lifestyle and who keep your best interest in mind. Keep in mind that good friends aren't always the popular people.


3.) Avoid Serious Relationships
If you are in high school, realize that few meet their future spouse during those years. You have plenty of time; there is no need to get into an intense relationship now. Most people find their spouses in college (or later) and do not get married until after graduation. The best foundation for any relationship is friendship. Start things off with a long, healthy friendship. After time, it should be clear if both of you desire the commitment of a relationship. There's no need to rush into it. Use this time to also decide if you're even ready to be in a relationship that could lead to marriage. Use your high school years to enjoy time with your friends and learn about yourself as an individual. Save serious relationships for when you are more prepared to support a spouse and family should it progress to that.


4.) Get Involved.
Boredom is the number one reason we lose our self control and get involved in negative activities. Keep  yourself occupied with good friends, service work, sports, healthy hobbies, and other positive interests. The less idle time you have, the less likely you will be involved in destructive activities. Find something beneficial that you enjoy doing and will keep you on the right track towards your goals.


5. Have Fun!
High school is the stepping stone into adulthood. It's meant to be a time where you learn the necessary skills and knowledge to be a successful adult so that after graduation you will be more prepared for the independence and responsibility that comes with adulthood. But it's also a time where you can enjoy certain freedoms that come with being a teenager. It's important to study hard and get good grades but it's also valuable to build good relationships with your fellow classmates, make memories that you will treasure for years to come and relish in the fact that at this stage in your life your responsibilities are minimal so enjoy that simplicity. Have fun!

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