Most senior columns hit on some pretty serious stuff, but I’m usually not super serious during school. Because of this, part of me is afraid this column is going to be a flaming pile of garbage. Anyway, while I’m certainly not an expert on life or high school– there are definitely some underclassmen who are far wiser than I am– I guess I still have some advice.

Get involved and do shit. You don’t have to be a four-sport superstar, be president of seven different clubs, or play every instrument in band, but find a thing or two you enjoy and stick with it. If you don’t know what to do, try a random club. Parallel is an absolute blast and the WEB is always fun. Oh, and try stuff early. Don’t wait until you’re a senior to try a sport or club.

Don’t be a jackass. Ames High is a building of 1,400 stressed and hormonal teenagers who have been conditioned to compete against each other in basically every aspect of life. You’re not helping anyone by making fun of the kid who failed a quiz or showed up five minutes late to class.

Find people you like and stick with them. The friends you have when you leave high school probably won’t be the same friends you had when you started high school, which is not always a bad thing. People change. Just roll with the punches.

The most important thing is to simply be yourself. I know that’s cliche, but it’s true. Some people can take three or four AP classes in a single semester and keep their sanity in tact, but maybe that’s not you. Everybody has different goals and it’s quite possible you’ll have different goals than your friends.

Don’t be afraid to look like an idiot. If you go to prom or homecoming and you know you’re a terrible dancer, don’t just stand around. Instead, dance and look like a fool. As somebody who has done both, trust me; dancing and looking like a fool is much more fun than standing around like a fool.

Don’t limit yourself to one activity or group. I have friends from when I played basketball and baseball my freshman year. I have friends from playing ultimate these past three years. I have friends from other activities and groups as well. If you limit yourself to one group and you end up separated from them at a party or other event, you’ll feel more out of place than a conservative-leaning Denver resident on April 20th. Having a diverse group of friends is always a good thing.

Lastly, just be a kick-ass person. Make fun of yourself when you mess up and ask for forgiveness when you do something wrong. Don’t take yourself too seriously, because in ten years nobody will care how cool you were or how much playing time you got. High school is a pretty crazy time for everybody, so have some fun along the way. Just be a genuine person and let the rest take care of itself.