Before allowing yourself to feel any angst over regrets you have concerning high school, ask yourself this: does it really matter? Is it worth it to agonize over classes in which you could have tried harder, activities in which you would have excelled or relationships you should have valued more? The answer to all: absolutely not. And here’s why.
Work Ethic vs. Letter Grade: Lesson one: Do not dwell on bad grades.
For too many students, grades are everything regardless of what they learn in the class. Due to the importance college admissions places on grade point average, many kids resort to cheating under pressure, thus not gaining the significant knowledge from the class.
Tormenting yourself with the self-deprecating mantra of “I could’ve studied harder for that test” is a waste of time. If the class is even important to what your major is in college, you can take the class again with special concentration towards your field of study.
Students who study for hours for a test can still receive bad scores resulting from test anxiety, the type of assessment and general burnout. I would know, after studying non-stop for three weeks for my AP European History exam, including locking myself in a classroom from noon to six in the evening after my AP Literature and Composition exam that morning, I still ended up receiving a score that I was not happy with on the practice exam I took that night. After a meltdown, I realized the significance of this test ultimately means nothing to me. What’s the worst that could happen? I may have to take a history class in college? So what? I’m simply bad at retaining information, and I accept it. I am, however, proud that I even attempted to memorize my review book and class notes.
The idea of developing good work ethic in high school is important and will shape your tendency to work hard in the future.
Extra-extracurricular activities: Lesson two: There is no need to take on everything.
Do not regret your failed attempt to participate in extracurricular activities that in the end meant nothing to you. When it comes down to colleges’ selectivity, they will look for where your passions are and how you incorporate your interests within the school environment. If you’re not so interested in South Asian culture, don’t join South Asian club. If you know you’re lazy and unreliable, don’t run for SGA. In the clubs that you do join, schools will want to see letters from the activity sponsors and if you don’t deliver your best, you will not receive a good recommendation.
The Friendship Ring: Lesson three: Forget the people who have forgotten you.
Over the past four yours, your circle of friends has probably changed in more ways than you would have expected. It’s not theirs or your fault. In high school, students with all sorts of interests are clumped together; given the opportunity to branch out; this may have built distance between you and your childhood best friend. However, realize that if someone was a true friend, that person would have accepted the differences the two of you had and made an effort to stay on close terms with you.
In less than a week, the graduating class of 2009 will toss caps into the air as a salute to the end of their high school career. Many believe that they’ve just completed the hardest, most confusing part of their lives. For those of you with this mindset, you are terribly wrong. Brace yourself and be ready to overcome issues more complicated than you’ve ever dreamed of. Graduating from WJ is only the beginning of the rest of your life.
