If only I knew what was to come…

By: Emily Burkley.

A letter to the incoming freshman: as I sit here my senior year looking back on my past three years through high school there’s a lot more I wish I would’ve known coming into “the best four years of my life.”

First off, that’s a lie. It has not been the best three years of my life, but certainly not the worst either. I think most can agree when I say there’s so much in life yet to experience. So don’t get your heart set on the idea that high school has to be fun 24/7, because you’ll most likely be disappointed.  Which leads me to your first bad test grade or report card. Of course it matters if you don’t do so well, but it’s not the end of the world. Don’t beat yourself up if you lose that 4.0 or don’t get the A that you wanted, life will go on, trust me.

Although in turn, always work as hard as you can in ANYTHING. Give 100% day in and day out because even though it may not seem like it, it will never all pay off in the end.  Don’t be afraid and definitely don’t settle, push yourself to be the best, but remain humble. Surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you.

Now, if the people around you don’t have the same goals as you, let them go. You don’t need people that are going to 1. Bring you down, 2. Talk poorly on your behalf when you aren’t around, and 3. Are just plain rude. Find your group of friends that would do anything for you, ones that will have your back no matter what, and be courageous and bold enough to stick up for you no matter the circumstance. Those are going to be lifelong friends, even though they may be hard to find.

Like I said, finding friends is tough, but don’t be afraid to go out of your box. Be friends with upperclassmen, be friends with underclassmen. Age is just a number and when it’s four years, it’s really not as big a deal as everyone makes it out to be.

Lastly, the classic: be yourself. People are going to judge you, you are going to be talked about whether it is right or wrong, people will dislike you for no reason at all, some will be jealous of you, some will love you, but no matter the reason always stay true to yourself and don’t change for a single person. Being mean might get you places in high school, but a heart of gold, a personality filled with kindness, and a warm smile will get you places in LIFE.