How to Survive High School without Regrets ...

1. Take Advice

Of course I’m going to tell you to take advice—I’m giving you advice right now! But seriously, a lot of people will offer you wisdom and guidance during these years, and the best advice I can give you is to take their advice! This is a time in your life for you to learn lessons, whether it’s the easy way or the hard way. Hopefully, by taking the advice older people offer you, you can learn those lessons the easy way!

2. Try New Classes

People often have the misconception that there’s a formula for success in life. If I take these classes, play this instrument, and join this club, I’ll get into my dream school. If only it were that easy! Truly, the only way to get where you want to go in life is by following your passions. So try new classes at school so that you can learn new things and get to understand yourself better. Plus, it's better to do this now before you have to pay for classes in college!

3. Be Busy

Being busy not only keeps you out of trouble, it also helps you discover new activities that you enjoy. High school is one big period of exploration, so take advantage of this time to try new things so that when you graduate you won’t wish you had tried this or that.

4. Put Friends First

At times, you may be tempted to betray or merely neglect your friendships in order to advance in school or in your love life. While academics are important and dating can be fun, developing healthy people skills and lasting friendships matters more than both of those. Always live your life with as much integrity and honesty as possible so that you don’t lose your friends or yourself in the process.

5. Act as if Someone is Always Watching

Because someone always is! Especially in our age of social media, you can’t make a huge blunder and move on. Every action has a consequence, and that’s important to remember throughout high school and your life. That’s not to say that it isn’t okay to make mistakes—because it totally is!— however, a good way to minimize them in high school is by always acting as if someone is watching.

6. Keep up Your Grades

One of those people watching is your college admissions officer. Even if now you don’t think college is in your future, you don’t know how your mind will change over the next four years. If your grades are always below average though, you might not even have the option to attend. So stay focused and keep your grades up so that you don’t deny yourself of an opportunity down the road.

7. Don’t Be Too Impulsive

It’s true that you might regret not doing things, but you’ll also regret doing certain embarrassing or dangerous things. From time to time, spontaneity is fun and can have great results. But generally, avoid impulsive actions as they can lead to unforeseen consequences.

There are a million other points I could add to this list, but I don’t want to overwhelm you! The most important message is to have fun and discover yourself over the next four years. As long as you do that, you shouldn’t have too many regrets. If you’ve already graduated, what advice do you have about avoiding regrets in high school?