How to survive high school by Mustafa

How to survive high school by Mustafa - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

High school isn’t easy, but it’s definitely manageable. When I was younger, I assumed high school was when you had homework every day, even on the weekends. I thought high school was when you had tests all the time, and you had to do a lot of things outside of school so that you could go to college. Although all of this is true, high school definitely isn’t as bad as many people make it out to be. And as long as you do a few things right, your high school experience can be some of the best years ever.

The number one most important thing you should never do in high school is obvious: don’t procrastinate. It’ll bite you in the back every time. I promise. Even though it’s something that everyone around you will do, don’t let that influence you and you’ll win out in the end. As long as you start working on assignments soon after they are assigned, and you break them up into manageable portions, you will get everything done, and you’ll have more free time than your procrastinating counterparts. This is one piece of advice almost everyone will give you, so take it.

Secondly, yet as importantly, make sure to try new things. Although this may sound vague, make sure to do things in high school that you may have never done. This can come in the form of community service, joining school clubs and organizations, playing a sport, or going for a leadership position. Volunteering in various different places will give you valuable experience, and will help you find out what you really enjoy doing. Try to become the leader of a school club or organization. This will give you a taste of responsibility, and will teach you how to handle things under stress and time restraints. Most of all, enjoy all that you do and appreciate the people around you.

At the end of the day, high school is four years of your life, and although that may seem like a long time, I can promise you it won't feel like it. So cherish every small moment, because it is these moments that you’ll be remembering when you are somewhere down the road in life. Not every day will be your best, but every day certainly will not be your worst. So make the best of what comes your way, and make sure to try new things.