It’s really very difficult to dish out advice when you yourself are so tired of hearing it. For the past year, college advice has been hounding me, threatening to drown me with well-meant comments on how to branch out of my comfort zone or how to study effectively. Despite my reservations, here I am, imparting my stumbling, stuttering, stammering advice to anyone who cares to read it.

For starters, manage your schedule well. Don’t be like me, and end up taking Computer Concepts filled with freshman your senior year because you were stupid enough to not pay attention to your electives. It’s an elementary lesson, but one that I somehow ignored nonetheless.

On the flip side, if that does happen, go with the flow. Was it odd to walk into Computer Concepts that first day? Undoubtedly. There I was, at the peak of my senior year, surrounded by wide eyed freshman who didn’t know what side of the hallway to walk on. Now however, I enjoy the class. It’s simple, and stimulating enough to make me feel like I’m doing something while also letting my senioritis run free. Also, it feels nice to get 100% or more on every assignment because you’ve been using those skills for years now. So I say, go with the flow.

Speaking of classes, make sure to take the ones you want to take. It sounds intuitive, I know, but you’d be surprised how often that advice isn’t followed. Yes, make sure to get you requirements in to graduate (see above), but keep your interests in mind. Don’t push yourself for AP if you don’t want to, don’t hesitate to take AP if you do. Want to take an art class? Do it! The only thing stopping you here is you. And yes, I do realize I sound like every counselor here at Ames High, but I mean what I say. Learn what you want to learn.

Beyond that, get to know your teachers. You are undoubtedly going to struggle during high school, and to some counselors can seem inaccessible and a mile away. Try and form bonds with your teachers; you’ll be surprised how helpful they can be in bringing the world back into perspective for you. Besides that, they all have some really funny stories to tell. I’d especially suggest hitting up Mr. Webb or Mrs. Engelkes sometime for some prime storytelling (or maybe if you want to cry over massacred chicks and dogs eating cow balls. Whatever suits you).

Finally, let’s face it. High school sucks sometime. Sometimes, it sucks a lot. There have been times where it felt like the doors of Ames High were constantly smacking me in the face, and when I felt like I was finally in the clear those doors would swing right back and smack me again. I look back at my letters from Mr. Weber that I wrote and eighth grade, and find a completely different person embedded in those pages. And that is perfectly okay. If there has been anything I’ve learned over these past four years of high school, it’s that this change is okay. High school can be rough, but that’s only to smooth out my prepubescent edges and make me grow. So yes, that metaphorical door did smack me around a bunch, but, at the risk of sounding incredibly (and almost unforgivably) cheesy, I got back up.

I’m going to stop my haphazard, probably unwanted preachings now, with the hope that those of you poor souls who did make it through this learn that while high school can be, well, hell sometimes, it will one way or another make you a better person for it. Just let the door smack you (I promise I’m done with this metaphor) and embrace the craziness that is high school.