Keep your passion.

Ever since I was a kid, people have told me that “Highschool is the golden years of your life!” For the most part this can be true, although I definitely think differently whenever I am standing in front   of the class and trying to give a speech I wrote the night before,  stuttering on every other word. Also think the same thing on the days where I never said a word, even more so when I’m struggling to stay awake during a lecture. Especially having to wake up extremely early day in and day out, the snowballing pressure of school work. Although yeah all of that stuff kinda sucks, but high school, despite what I said, is a gift you should enjoy for as long as possible. Things such as hanging out with my friends during lunch or that feeling you get when you pass a class that was giving you a lot of trouble, goofing off in class to the point the teacher gets upset, ragebaiting teachers whenever we get the chance,  even small things like the support from teachers and the sense of community is the reason high school is worth it. Besides getting a good job of course. So be grateful, be happy, enjoy the time you have left with the friends you cherish the most because I bet you won’t get that opportunity much again. I’m gonna yap about me for a bit, so humor me.

If I had the opportunity to start high school over again I would, despite the highs and lows I would dedicate as much of my time as I could, having taken things slowly for a majority of my high school career I can say with certainty it isn’t worth it. So heed my advice and the advice of your peers and do your best, even if you only have 50% to give I encourage you to put in all of it. Take every opportunity given to you. If you work hard, and show up you will end high school not only in an advantageous position, but you will go into the work force without any regrets. Don’t have regrets. But we should look towards the future and strive to never have to regret anything ever again.

Don’t strive for perfection, it’ll only drive you mad.  You should strive for happiness, you should strive for a future that you are satisfied with. And even if you don’t fully achieve it at least you aren’t so far behind you can’t work towards your new goal. Shoot for the stars, if you miss you will land upon the moon, Climb those stairs as high as you can, if you trip and stumble down at least you can say that you tried your best, what’s worse, failing miserably or failing miserably and it being your and your fault alone. So whatever you decide to do after this, weither its gene biology stuff, working at taco bell, or even, god forbid, a teacher, I encourage you to spend every day like it’s your last, make a ripple. Like the poet Dylan Thomas said “Do not go gentle into that good night, rage against the dying of the light” (Thomas) My point is to make a mark on the universe you can be proud of when you look back.

“The Graduates” by Game of EPL5 & LUMIX G20/F1.7 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.