How to Survive High School in the Modern Day (Part 1)

(Image courtesy of Petra Collins)

High school sucks. Parents who say 'high school years are the best years of your life,' or 'I would give a right arm to go back to high school' clearly have no idea what it's like nowadays. They didn't have 'Facebook' or 'iMessage' back then - things have changed! Trust me, I've spent the last 8 years of my life stuck in it. I can't tell you how many times I was tempted to drop out, too many to remember anyway. I remember I used to spend hours googling 'how to home school your child,' but unsurprisingly my mother wasn't buying it. "Go to school," she would say, "you'll make lots of new friends and have lots of new experiences, it's all part of being a teenager" The truth is, you should always listen to your mother, and although I'm not saying she's wrong, she just left out all the drama and stress that comes in between all the fun stuff. 

I'm here to tell you the truth about high school. If anything, you should trust me over any middle aged (or beyond) adult. I'm fresh out out high school (well, 9 days to go), and I've had some pretty awesome/terrible experiences. These aren't all personal to me, but it's just what I've witnessed over the past 8 years. Here are my top tips to surviving high school in the modern day.

1. The first three years of high school will be the best. You're young and you're dumb and have nothing to worry about. It's your time to experiment, and by experiment I mean exploring new looks, meeting new friends, trying new sports and even experimenting with the opposite sex (hey, I had my first kiss when I was 13!). Go out to teenage discos (take my word for it, they are much better than any 18+ nightclub) and dress ridiculous. Stop worrying about exams, they're not important - although that doesn't mean you shouldn't study and keep on top of your grades! My best advice is don't involve yourself with drink or even try a cigarette, it's not worth it and I promise you'll only look back at yourself in a number of years and feel red at the cheeks! Don't get yourself into a relationship, either. You look ridiculous and all of the seniors are laughing at you. In 5 years time he/she will just be another face in the corridor. I remember I was in a relationship for one day. Yup, one day - and I haven't been in any form of relationship since! 

2. Bullies. We all experience them at one point in our high school years. Most of the time kids bully because they're either jealous of you or they have absolutely nothing better to be at. If anyone makes you feel unsafe or annoys you, tell your parents and tell a teacher. It took me months to build up the courage to do so, but once I had explained everything, the bullying stop. It was nothing crazy serious, just some silly name calling from a few older girls. You don't deserve to feel scared or nervous about attending high school. Speak out and take action! If the bullying is taken further than silly comments e.g. physical abuse, then you must tell an adult. They will deal with it in a serious matter and your parents will always know what is best for you.

3. Teachers. Many teachers have taught me throughout my 8 years of high school. I can't remember how many exactly, but it is most definitely around the 30 mark. Out of my 30 teacher experiences, I can tell you that I actually like one of them - yup, just one. I'm not exaggerating, I promise. I'll not mention names but I can tell you he was the only teacher that didn't make me feel like shit. I never felt scared attending his class because I knew I would be taught well and with respect - none of this embarrassing you in front of your classmates when you don't understand a question. Although he taught me a number of years ago, he will always say 'hello, Kaytee' in the corridor and will sometimes stop to ask how my studies are going. Basically what I'm trying to say is you will meet teachers that make you feel worthless and you will meet teachers that actually make certain studies more enjoyable. The horrid ones won't treat you with any respect and they will cause great anxiety. I can't tell you how anxious I get about attending my art class, all because of the teacher. My best advice is show respect and they will respect you in return. Well, most of them anyway.

I hope you've enjoyed reading the first top three tips to surviving high school. Keep checking back and keep an eye out for part 2!

Your opinions mean a great deal, so any feedback is greatly admired. As this is quite a personal post, it's great to read lovely and supportive comments! Maybe you're not long out of school or perhaps you are just starting! If you have any tips of your own, please leave them in the comment section below!

- KVL xo