7 pieces of advice for my high school self

Forget love being a battlefield; try high school. Believe me, getting through those illustrious 4 years can at times (SLASH ALL THE TIME) feel a little daunting – especially when your semesters are filled with friends coming and going, extra-curriculars, relationship drama, final exams, and then somehow choosing what you want to do for the rest of your life (?????).

But guess what? They can also be the best 4 years of your life. When done “right” (this is very subjective), high school can easily be a place where you create friendships that last a lifetime, AND a place that can help you bloom into the career (and the life) you love after graduation.

Realizing that hindsight is almost always the best sight, we enlisted the help of Brett, someone whose been through it (and is already a successful Marketing Coordinator), for 7 pieces of advice he’d give his high school self. Hey, you never know, this could be exactly what you need to be hearing right now.

1. Get to know as many people as you can

When I got to university, I lived in dorms. I was surrounded by first year students from all over the country (and lots from other countries as well). Where they came from or what they were like in high school didn’t matter. It made me realize that there were probably a lot of kids at my high school the years before that I didn’t take the time to get to know as well as I could have. Maybe I could have formed better relationships with people who would have made great friends or with people who make great business connections.

2 . Take your studies seriously

In high school, I paid attention in class and got good enough grades to be accepted to the post­secondary school I wanted to attend, but I surely could have developed better study habits, which would have made adjusting to university easier, would have led to better high school grades, and in turn may have even opened the door to greater university and career opportunities. I didn’t excel in math; I probably should have studied with an online math tutor.

3. You probably won’t marry your high school sweetheart

Maybe if I was a better prom date or something. But probably not.

4. Prom, or who your prom date is, doesn’t really matter

I remember prom being a big deal. I especially remember everyone choosing their prom dates being a big deal. While prom was a lot of fun, it wasn’t even close to the best party I’ve been to. There are plenty more opportunities to connect with dates, wear suits, and get crazy on the dance floor.

5. Don’t take your parents for granted

I’m not sure if I was always perfectly respectful of and grateful for everything my parents did, but in case I ever wasn’t, I should have been. My parents did a lot for me through high school, including supporting me financially, helping me apply for universities and scholarships, teaching me to drive, and enabling my athletic endeavours.

6. Ask a lot of questions about what different careers are like

I wish I had taken every opportunity to have conversations with my friends’ parents and my parents’ friends. Informational interviews with questions like, “What do you do?”, “Why do you like it?”, and “How did you end up in your current position?” would have helped me significantly. I regret not gaining more insight to inform my decisions during university and onward.

7. You don’t need to choose a career path in high school

Although gathering a lot of information on career options would have been helpful, I wouldn’t have used it to decide on a set­in­stone career path. My years after high school proved to be informative in terms of discovering more about myself, my skills, and in turn, what I might end up doing career­wise. I was never sure in high school exactly what I wanted to do, but it would have been nice to know that I didn’t need to know.

– Brett