advice for my high school self as a new graduate

my high school art room:)

hi friends! since i graduated in june, i want to share with you all the advice i wish i had gotten before or during my time in high school. things might be different for you, but i hope some of what i share is helpful <3

for context, my high school graduating class was eighty-two. it was pretty small, and most of the people have grown up together, so this was really hard for me as i found the environment & energy really unfriendly & discouraging. i hope your high school experience is better, but here are some things that helped me get through:)

• resume & service hours // make a resume freshman year & update it every year so you get everything & don't have to remember senior year. great for job apps but especially for college and scholarships! keep track of service hours to use for clubs like national honor society, but also for scholarship apps. i wish i would have done this better! here's a template i made:)

• join a club that means something to you & be involved // when you're applying for college & scholarships, they won't care if you've done one million clubs. they care about what you learned and how you contributed. i'm so glad i joined youth4change and was involved as a leader, as i wrote about it a lot! everybody can be in a ton of clubs, but can they talk about real stuff they've done personally? remember that:) also, doing a blog & podcast were things i wrote about as service and non-school activities. you don't have to do everything through school! be creative:)

• quit things you don’t love // high school is an amazing time to try new things... sports, music, art, shop classes, musicals, clubs etc. but don’t make them your identity. remember that just because you tried something doesn’t mean you're committed to it forever. finish strong & then try something new next year if you're not hyped about it. i wish more people didn't burn themselves out with stuff they didn't love. make your own choices!

• let go of friends that don’t try hard enough // you'll find better friends in your life, in different places or seasons. detach yourself from people who make you feel anything less than loved, because you deserve better. most people's social lives don't peak in high school, so don't plan on yours to, either:)

• job shadow as early as you can // such a good move for so many reasons! experience for college apps, help for deciding what to do & major in & where to go to school in the future, super interesting, helps you have more of an idea of what post-high school life is like!! i highly recommend! in my experience, people were super accomodating & supportive :)

• talk to upperclassmen // they don't bite! as a junior & senior i wish more underclassmen talked to me, because i loved being friends with the older kids. just because they're pretending to be cooler doesn't mean they aren't nice. they were just in your place not that long ago:)

• write your teachers thank you notes // one of my favorite things i did in high school. they do so much for you, so when they really help you, let them know.

• remember this is only a short season // high school is a small part of life, but it can feel infinite. so remind yourself often that it's cooler to not peak in high school, and soon it will be over, so don't stack all your cards on these four years. have patience but also just have fun as much as you can:)

• journal & cry as much as you can... // don't wait to feel all the feels. be honest with yourself and don't sugarcoat things just to get through.

• don’t get social media // whole post on this soon, but i wish i deleted snapchat and instagram way sooner! (and bereal & visco) if you really want to have them, don’t follow everyone from school. you already compare yourself and think about them way too much. just let what happens at school stay at school. social media makes school blend into every other part of your life & i wish i realized that earlier on.

• find people who encourage you in your faith & mentor you // it's hard to stay spiritually strong when you're in a high school every day. find people who encourage you--at church, friends, family, online, etc.

• your health > your success // if you don't care for your body, mind & soul, eventually you will burn out. your success cannot be obtained without your health.

• find a high paying flexible job // don’t settle for less... research, ask around, work hard. i love teaching swim lessons & it's a job i can make money off of the rest of my life. don't just work a cheap job because that's the only one you know about. if you're smart enough to look harder, you'll realize that you deserve better.

• turn your phone off early so you can sleep enough // nothing at night is worth the lack of sleep and how you'll feel tomorrow. set your downtime, nice and early, and go sleep.

• spend time alone outside // high school can be a lot to process. going on walks helped me so much to have the time i needed to reset myself.

• don’t bring your phone around at school // leave it in your locker & live your life! life is much more interesting than your phone. even high school. doodle, read, legit do anything but be on your phone all day. you will thank yourself.

• learn how to study // watch videos with tips, ask your parents, etc. don't just go to high school for nothing. work hard to become a good student & actually internalize what you learn! make your time worth it and prepare yourself for college. cheating is just a waste of everybody's time.

• pray before school // you need the strength & protection from the world.

• do therapy // if you can, therapy can be a great tool! to have an outside perspective, a bigger view, a bigger toolset. why wait?

• leave school at school // don’t have everyone on your phone. do your homework on weekdays if you can. have a separate life from school! find other friends, other hobbies, other adult mentors, etc. don't let high school take over your whole life:)

• don’t study on the sabbath // let yourself rest & recharge with the Lord! give yourself a break & God will bless you with everything you need and more.

• start applying for college earlier than you think // my next post is about my suggested senior timeline, but just know apps always take longer than you think :)

• talk to as many people as you can // when you graduate, groups don’t matter anymore. just friendships & people you felt genuinely connected with.

• skip school whenever you can // don’t let the grind destroy your joy! you need to take care of yourself, so if that means staying home when you can, why not? live your life!

• don’t be afraid to be different // "you have to be different to make a difference." remember that as much as being different sucks, you are being a light for others. be kind when others mock. speak goodness when others swear. try hard when others make excuses. smile when others look away. love when others bully. trust me, people notice & appreciate your strength. “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” colossians 3:2 / “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. romans 12:2

high school was definitely a hard season for me, but i'm very grateful for everything that i learned. God was with me every day & if anything i learned how to rely on His goodness. i hope this post is an encouragement for whatever challenge you're going through, even if that's not high school. have discipline, try your best, love your hardest, smile big, and trust that soon this season will be over. you got this! <3

love you all! see you next week!

xoxo, kate