The Next Big Step: High School

As the time in middle school runs out you begin to start thinking about high school. A lot of students just think about the basics. Of course, the basics are important to think about but there are many other points about high school that teenagers should investigate. In young teenage minds, high school is a whole different world. In order to adapt to a whole new world, you must know the right and wrong things to do before you step foot into unknown territory. High school is just a step up from middle school, but it is very different.

Social Life

When it comes to having a social life, you have a lot of options. There will always be kids who will be focused on their social lives. There are a lot of reasons why making your social life your main priority is a big problem. For example, having a huge social life can take a toll on your academics. Your goals and interests along with your own special personality should help you make the right friends. One tip I can give you is you don't need to be friends with the most popular kids in school to be happy, you will be happy with the friends that will love you for you, not what you have to offer. If you spend too much on your social life you might find yourself at parties after midnight, late night hangouts, and phone calls that seem to last for hours. One day you will start to tell yourself that there is never enough time for studying, but the truth is you never make time. Academics should be a priority while attending high school, not whether your friends are throwing a huge rage party next week.

Academics

In high school you also have a variety of options. Most of the time you will be able to choose classes, while others are based on test scores and grades. Some high schools will offer college-based classes to give an advantage for college applications. When it comes to senior year you must have a certain number of credits from these classes to graduate. Your high school academics could help you out big time for college. Some students are just trying to graduate and then there are some who have big dreams of becoming number one doctor one day. I know there are students who think they won't ever need these academics, but you never know. Teens will grow up one day and maybe have kids, those kids will grow into teens and learn the same academics. You never know if you would need to help another teen out one day.

Extracurriculars

I think that a lot of teenagers can agree when I say school can be a buzzkill sometimes. That’s why it can be nice to have something non-school related waiting for you after a long hard day at school. Many students find it comforting to be in a club or competitive sport that helps get their mind off the work that awaits them when they get home. Extracurricular activities can be a huge stress reliever. Knowing that you have time to breathe while doing something you enjoy can put you right back on track. Or just knowing that you have a distraction for a while before you get back to a list of tasks can help your brain think of solutions to make your business less stress free. Extracurricular activities can also just help you have more fun, instead of getting involved in troubled fun.

Decisions for the Future

A lot of teenagers make the mistake of waiting till senior year to make college choices. As soon as you step into high school freshmen year you should start thinking about this as soon as possible. Four years of high school really isn't a lot of time, so you should never wait until the last minute. Even if you do not decide to go to college it is still important to plan. Plans do not always work out, but it is still a really good idea to have a big idea of what you want to do right after high school. High school is one of the best times to make good decisions. If you are still confused about what you want to do after high school, plan what you will be okay doing until you figure out your next big step.

Emotional Health

Keeping your mental health under control will make your life in high school ten times easier. Sometimes it is not as simple as it sounds because we live a life where a lot of unexpected things happen. Also, there will also probably be times where you are stressed over the day-to-day things in your life. In high school it is important to have good time management. Never overload yourself with multiple activities in your day that leave no room for priorities. The more you procrastinate on what's important, the more stressed and overwhelmed you will feel. We all face difficult times in our lives, so sometimes it can affect our school lives. Having a great mindset can help you in situations like that. Once you train your mind a certain way, it is automatically wired to put your importance's first.

Physical Health

According to HelpGuide it states, "People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well–being." Staying active can be extremely beneficial to your mental health. Plus, just being active is good for your body in general. Studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressants. While staying active it is important to eat well. Having a good diet can help improve internal body parts that make staying active a lot easier. The food we eat does have a huge impact on our bodies emotionally and physically. You can try being as active as you want, but if you do not eat right then where will you truly get the right energy to do anything?

The Basics huh? I Bet you did not think about some of those topics above through beforehand. In futuristic situations it is important to think about things a little deeper. A quick deep dive if that’s what you want to call it. Remembering these topics can make it a little easier in your young life. Each teen that goes into high school is different, some like to party, and some like to chill. Teens just need to know where their likes can be used in the right way, and where their dislikes can be used in a fun way.