Knowing what you know now, what is one piece of advice you'd share with younger students? by Kelly

Knowing what you know now, what is one piece of advice you'd share with younger students? by Kelly - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

If I could give some advice to a younger group of students as to what I know now leaving high school, I would tell them three things: use your brain, ask for help and be involved during your middle school and high school years. While it might seem like forever, you only have seven years ahead of you to make the most out of this journey. The truth is, this time will fly by faster than you think and making these choices now will help you along the way, as well as after graduation.
God gave you a computer to use, your brain! You will be inputting data into this computer every day, so make it challenging. Although it is instinct to take classes that your friends are taking or because it might seem like a blow off, take the opportunity to sign up for classes that you might not normally choose or are afraid to take every once in a while. Exercising your brain by learning new things or subjects you are not normally used to can actually help you in other areas of learning. The involvement will definitely make you a stronger student and give you confidence in your future studies. Go outside the box; you are smarter than you think you are.
While you are in school, you have so many resources to help you stay on track. Computers, books, the library, counselors, and the best resource of all, your teachers. It is so easy to get lost in all the lessons you are learning, especially if the pace of the course is faster than you are used to. My advice, don’t fall behind in the race. Go to your teachers and talk, make sure to establish a relationship with every one of your teachers so that you can communicate clearly what it is you need to succeed in the class. Be honest with them about the troubles you are having; they are there to help. The efforts you make will not only help your teacher know what is going on, but it will help you in the long run with your studies. Don’t ever be embarrassed to ask for help, I promise you will probably see some of your friends doing the same thing.
With all the work you will be doing in school, it is also important to be involved in an extracurricular activity to have some fun. Middle school and high school have plenty of organizations and clubs for you to discover. Find something you like and peruse it. Sports, student council, chess club, Latin club, or all of them can balance out your school life and help you make some friends. So go out there, be involved, make a touchdown or run for president of your favorite club. Whatever it is you enjoy, go do it!
By inspiring young students with my advice, I hope they will look back one day and realize that challenging their minds, engaging in relationships, and becoming involved was useful to them in school and helped mold them into a young adult who is ready to move on for their next adventure in life.