40 Things High School Has Taught Me

Four years at Dunbar means lots of life lessons

Looking back at my four years of high school, I’ve been to hell and back. I’ve experienced just about everything you could imagine. From awful relationships to health scares to drama to excruciating classes, I’ve collected a lot of knowledge over these four years. I’ve grown as a person; in fact, everyone changes in one way or another. I’ve created a list of 40 things that high school has taught me, and I encourage you to take some of these lessons to heart. You can look at this list and dismiss it, or actually take something away from it—especially you upcoming seniors. Senior year flies by, high school flies by. In hindsight, four years takes up a very small part of your life. Every chance you have to experience something, take it. I hope you all can relate to the 40 things I’ve taken away from my high school experience.

  1. You’re going to lose friends
  2. You’re going to make friends

    Senior Dinner Dance
    Senior Dinner Dance
  3. Try to be nice to everyone
  4. Including people is extremely important
  5. Not everything you do is cool, so stop trying
  6. “Popularity” isn’t real or relevant to who you actually are
  7. Take the ACT as soon and often as you can
  8. Don’t let people intimidate you
  9. Eat what you want
  10. Wear what you want
  11. Say what you want

    Pre-Prom Photoshoots
    Pre-Prom Photoshoots
  12. Forcing yourself to do school work when you aren’t in the mood is a learned skill
  13. But your mental health is more important than school. Take care of yourself
  14. Choosing sleep over a homework assignment here and there is completely acceptable
  15. You’re going to change
  16. If you don’t make mistakes, you’re doing it wrong
  17. Bad things are going to happen
  18. But the good things that happen are what will keep you going
  19. Just be honest
  20. Don’t bleed out your emotions all over social media
  21. Hard work will (eventually) be rewarded
  22. Take care of yourself, and go to the gym

    DogPound
    DogPound
  23. Learn to love yourself
  24. Senioritis is real
  25. High school is petty
  26. But time flies so cherish the people around you while you can
  27. Perfection isn’t real
  28. You don’t have to drink
  29. But if you do, don’t yack
  30. It’s perfectly okay to say no
  31. People are going to spread rumors about you
  32. Don’t get involved with drama – be the bigger person
  33. Senior year is very emotional. Some days will be happy, some days will be sad, and some days will be a little of both.
  34. Trust your gut
  35. Try as many new things as you can
  36. Spread positivity to everyone around you
  37. Always give out compliments. It might completely turn someone’s day around, and you never know who might really need it.
  38. People are going to let you down, but that just shows who should and shouldn’t be in your life
  39. Senior year is full of “lasts.” This chapter of your life is ending.
  40. Use your experiences (yes, even the bad ones) to be a better person, if not the best you that you can possibly be.
Senior Executive Board
Senior Executive Board

These are the 40 things that high school has taught me, and eventually, the 40 things that high school will teach you.