Some days it is hard to imagine getting through one day of high school, let alone four years, but by remembering a few simple things high school can be easily survivable.  

Don’t be afraid of losing your friends, be afraid of losing yourself. It can be easy to lose yourself in high school whether that be through indulging in drama, getting overly involved in sports and clubs, or making new friendships, but you cannot lose sight of your end goal, graduating. One senior says, “I got into a toxic relationship in the beginning of high school. About half-way through the relationship, I realized I had lost myself and who I was. One day I woke up and realized that I wanted to find myself again. Now I’m happier than ever I’m on the right track to a better future.” High school is a time to learn about yourself and to develop skills that will help you in the “real world”. It is easy to let yourself get pulled in a thousand different directions, but a key part of getting through high school and to graduation day unscathed is to remember that what you want for yourself is the most important thing.  

Birds of a feather flock together. Another important part of navigating high school is choosing your friends wisely. Often the friends who you choose to spend time with will influence how you choose to spend your time. If you choose to surround yourself with people who have negative attitudes and are always getting to trouble, it is only a matter of time until that negative attitude has rubbed off on you and your trying to figure out how to get yourself out of trouble. The choices you make now will have lasting impacts on your future.  One graduate from Cass High School says, “I’m so happy… I’m going to my dream school. I’m so excited I get to do what I love and learn from some of the most talented people and make new friends. But don’t get me wrong, I would not have been able to get through the past four years without my friends I have now. They’re the best and I love them.” The friends you make in high school can help lead you to success or help lead you toward disaster. Senior Morgan Hughes says, “good influences will bring good times, while bad influences will bring bad times.”    

 Keep your friends close and your enemies (teachers aren’t really the enemy) closer. Of course the tried and true method to performing well in high school is by paying attention in class, completing assignments, and studying for tests; however, sometimes life just gets in the way and you forget your super-student cape at home. It’s days like these that having a teacher who sees you as a human being and not just as the jerky student who plays on his cell phone all class period comes in handy. Making connections with teachers can be the difference between being the valedictorian and failing. Possibly this is a bit of an exaggerated statement, but it is true that having a good working relationship with your teachers never hurts. The best way to cultivate positive interactions with a teacher is by simply actively participating in class activities and discussions. A study conducted by the University of Birmingham suggests that “nearly two-thirds [of the time] personal feelings about particular pupils influenced [the teacher’s] assessment [of that student].” While this is not the case with all teachers, it does not hurt to have adults in the school who are willing to go to bat for you, especially when you’ve had a bad day or you need a scholarship recommendation letter.

High school may seem like a bottomless pit with no end, but by following these simple tips you can survive and thrive.