East has been my home for the past four years. Along the way I have learned a thing or two about how to make the most out of high school, even if that means I had to make mistakes to enjoy my time here. Here’s a short list of a few things I recommend you do to live your best high school life:
Join a Club at East – I know you’ve all heard this, but it’s such an important part of the high school experience! East is a very sports-centric school, so students tend to focus more on athletics than other extracurriculars. As somebody who has played two sports at East, I know it’s vital to have that balance between athletics and clubs. I highly recommend joining the X-Ray. This is not a biased statement…
Throw social group stereotypes aside when making friends – Popular kids this, theater kids that. It doesn’t matter who you hang out with. Although these groups tend to form naturally, it’s important to look past the stereotypes of these groups and look more at the individuals themselves. Don’t let other people’s thoughts on groups determine who you become friends with. In my experience, be friends with people from all walks of life. They’ll teach you a thing or two. It’s nice to have people who have varying ideas and perspectives on life so it’s not always the same viewpoints from the same people.
Don’t buy from the vending machine- I’m not one to talk because I do this almost daily, but it’s too expensive and adds up. Save your money and pack more snacks if you are a hungry gal like me.
Take an art class- It wasn’t until my senior year that I took an art class and my god do I wish that I took one sooner. It’s so calming and good for the soul. In addition, you get to bring your pieces back home. My favorite part of my projects was showing my mother my artwork and telling her every step of the way even if she could care less about how I made it.
Take risks – Now when I say this, I don’t mean jump down an entire flight of stairs to see if you can land it (which you won’t), but take risks with what you involve yourself in. Throw all of your fears aside. Thinking about applying to be an emcee, but don’t think you’ll be able to handle the crowd? Don’t fret! You definitely will. I didn’t think I would, but it all worked out in the end. Scared to join a club in the middle of the school year because you don’t think you’ll fit in with the existing group? DON’T! They would love to add a new member to their club. Who knows, maybe you could win their next competition. Even take risks with assignments. Make a bold statement in an essay or take a new direction with a project. It may be the thing that gets you from a B to an A. Plus, your creative take might make you the teacher’s favorite.
Regardless of if you take this advice or not, just enjoy your time here. School can be a struggle sometimes, but nobody said it would be easy. Get involved, branch out, try new things, and trust me, every senior can attest to this, it will be worth it.
