Goodbye high school

I would like to start this off by saying I wish I pushed myself to write more blog posts over the course of this year. Homework, studying, sports, and work usually took up all my brain power most of the time, and since this blog isn't something I technically had to do, it was most often pushed to the side.

See, that's one of the many problems about high school. Everyone is so hyper-focused on getting assignments done that they don't have time to do things they want to do rather than something they have to do. Personally, after I finish an essay or hours of homework I am so tired of thinking that I tune into Netflix or my phone when I could draw, read, clean or, I don't know, leave my house.

I often try and 'coach' my little brother on how to survive and be successful in high school. However, no matter what I say, he will have to learn and experience it for himself. I think that is in fact the best advice I can give him- to fully and completely experience it.

Go to the sports games (even if your school's team doesn't have the best record), the pep rallies, the dances, the concerts, and the plays. Dress up in your school's colors and put on face paint and yell obnoxiously loud.

Talk to your teachers and befriend them, they are not the enemy. Question the administration if you feel something is not fair or not right, they are not as unreachable as they seem. Wear whatever you want (within ethical boundaries, of course), the dress code is rarely enforced.

Get involved in clubs and play sports. Take a lot of pictures. Have meaningful discussions. Look around and be proud of how far you've come, however far that is, because one day you'll be walking out those doors you dreaded so much for the last time. You'll be giving your teachers soft smiles at graduation and looking around at all of the people you've passed in the hallways and wondering, 'Where the hell did the time go?'