What High School Teaches You About Life
“High school wasn’t a trial by fire or some ordeal that had to be survived. It was all a big joke. You just had to provide the laugh track.” Scott Westerfeld
As a high schooler, life is pretty happening.
The period is full of humiliations and revelations.
You love and hate school, your chest squeezes at the thought of leaving all the people you have known for almost a decade, you get new experiences as you prepare for the latest events, and you fret over the never-ending exams.
This is my last year in high school.
The realisation kills me.
There would come a day, when it would be the last time I would ever sit on the desks, race through the corridors (I am told I am too old for that), have enjoyable discussions with the teachers and wait for the period to be over.
People say school is a sheltered environment, but I have seen how its intense experiences can teach you a ton about life in general.
Life is SUPPOSED to be messy
“At its root, perfectionism isn’t really about a deep love of being meticulous. It’s about fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of failure. Fear of success.” — Michael Law
One of my first wishes as a kid was to grow up as fast as possible. I thought life would turn better and smoother.
Only if I knew …
High school is the watershed in the (short) life I have had yet. It made me ambitious, learn how insignificant my existence is, and understand the importance of people.
I aimed to have a perfect life.
I wanted to score great as well as work for my passion, be physically fit, have sound mental health, keep in regular touch with my friends, do some co-curricular, spend time with family, and oh, read that book.
As expected, life has been messy.
It’s a balancing act of the above-mentioned aspects — in which I am failing miserably. In trying to manage some, the other things fall into disarray. When I rush to rectify the other aspects, the former ones fall apart.
I feel like the biggest loser.
It drove me crazy once.
And I am just a teenager. I wonder what it would be like when I would turn into an adult, with a thousand other unforeseen challenges.
I asked some friends how they managed their coaching with school.
Their unanimous reply sums up my post:
I don’t.
That’s when I let go.
I have been happier since.
Life is not supposed to be perfect — it’s a unique mess you must learn to thrive in, as the high school teaches you. I don’t crib over what I couldn’t do on a particular day. Rather, I look forward to how I can improve the next day.
Remember, your best can vary on circumstances.
Today’s best can be different from yesterday’s. What matters is how willingly you work. Don’t beat yourself up without reason.
Enjoy the chaos.
Humiliations don’t matter
“Life makes fools of all of us sooner or later. But keep your sense of humor and you'll at least be able to take your humiliations with some measure of grace.” ― Paul Murray
I have had my share of humiliating experiences school.
I had full-blown breakdowns twice in the same class. I broke a glass water bottle of a senior whom I didn’t know. I squeezed whitener on somebody’s face. I blurted a word I didn’t know was abusive. (The consequences were scary at first, and then hilarious.) I misunderstood what the teacher wanted of me. I have said and done “cringey” things.
The list goes on and on …
Some of them have haunted me for days after the incident.
Wilting like a waterless flower after letting the humiliation sink in doesn’t do any good.
When we’re younger, we think that the world revolves around us.
You assume that everybody notices you and your failures and remembers them forever. People still laugh at the embarrassing moment behind your back. It’s always about you.
This all is untrue.
Nobody gives a damn about you.
I choose to take it in a positive light.
People don’t think about you as much. Your ego thinks the situation involves you when the reasons can be unrelated. That embarrassing moment is forgotten already!
Nothing is personal.
Remember — the world doesn’t revolve around you; it goes around the Sun.
Education is your greatest wealth
Previously, I groaned to learn anything.
It seemed like a chore.
Only in hindsight, do I realise how useful gaining skills and education is in this world. Even an insightful YouTube video can aid you when you least expect it.
No knowledge goes to waste.
The more you know, the more you realise how less you know, and the more you want to know.
It truly is the greatest wealth you can amass.
Learning with passion is one of the best and most advantageous feelings in this world!
Being yourself is the hardest—you gotta do it
Society tells you to be yourself.
The moment you step out of the “normal”, it shuts you up.
Finding time for yourself gets harder with age.
I remember having a ton of free time to saunter around, get bored and get creative a few years ago. I stepped into high school, and it got snatched. Suddenly, it was hard to take out time for myself, let alone my other pursuits.
I’ll tell you what:
The world will take away all of your joys if you let it. It’s reading and writing for me. It can be skateboarding and photography for you.
Fight for what you love doing.
You sing terribly? Sing anyway if it makes you happy. Do you love comics? Don’t leave reading them even if you grow up.
With the intense pressure, high school is not supportive of your hobbies.
Yet, I am writing anyway.
And I will continue with it ahead in life. During hard times, that is what will keep you going. I push time for my pursuits by hook or by crook.
Keep the goofy feeling inside you alive.
To conclude
High school has been a beautiful mess for me.
It can teach you a lot about the life ahead.
Don’t feel humiliated easily; humans have short memories. Embrace failure for perfection is boring and unattainable. Enjoy learning. The most important takeaway — don’t let what you love go easily, for it forms the basis for your existence.
How was your high school experience?
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Saanvi ❤️