Oh, the places you'll go by Terra

Oh, the places you'll go by Terra - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

What do you tell an incoming freshman? What do you say to them as they get ready to face the next four years of their life? You tell them what you wish someone had told you. I was always told that high school was going to be amazing and I would never forget it. In some ways they were right. I got to be in FFA and travel all over. I got to play tennis and experience Friday night football. I got to meet some teachers that helped shape who I am. But there were so many things no one ever told me. So I am going to share that wisdom now.

For starters, people will change. A LOT. The girl you thought was your best friend because you both loved rock may be your worst enemy tomorrow because she would rather listen to rap all of the sudden. The guy you played football with all through elementary and middle school may decide he would rather spend his afternoons skating than at practice. The kid who was nerdy and quiet in 8th grade may come back as the star point guard and the pretty girl may eventually become not so "pretty". High school is full of kids trying to find themselves and because of that friends will come and go. Find a core group of people you can trust and stick with them. The only people I talk to from high school are the ones that I knew I could depend on since freshman year.

Secondly, find an extracurricular with an awesome teacher behind it and get involved. There are so many benefits to extracurricular activities. It gives you a chance to develop a passion for something. It opens up doors for your future. You also have the possibility of find a mentor! I know it's hard to believe now, but most of the teachers in your school are there because they have a passion for helping students grow, especially the ones who run after school activities. In high school I did FFA and it has helped me in all aspects of my life. I am better speaker, excellent at presenting myself, able to defend things I am passionate about, and it has provided me with multiple connections throughout my state. Find something you love and do it.

Finally, look beyond high school. It's hard to look past high school, because in the moment it seems to be all there is. But if you really look you can see it is only 4 years out of your whole life. One day you're going to graduate and start college, and that is what you should look to. Keep your grades up! Do dual enrollment! Work to make yourself more desirable to colleges! If you do, in four years you will find yourself picking a college based on your interests and campus activities, rather than what you can afford. Remember, high school isn't the rest of your life.

So, that is all I have. That is everything I wish someone had told me when I was coming into high school. I learned all of those lessons the hard way and I am hoping that you don't have to. Some of it may seem like the rantings of an out of touch old person, but I promise that if you keep these things in mind you will get through high school a lot easier.