9 Important Lessons High School Taught Me ...

1. Rumors Are Unavoidable

I think I've managed to stay out of the spotlight relatively well during the last few years of high school, but rumors still managed to surface. They're usually harmless and sometimes false, but they're always circulating. One of the most important lessons high school taught me is that even if you try your best to stay under the radar all through high school, people will still gossip about you. And that goes beyond these school walls. People, especially women, love to gossip! So wherever your life take you, don't be surprised when rumors follow right along side you.

2. Plan Ahead

It's definitely tempting to spend this four year period in your life completely care-free, happy to "go with the flow". But after surviving a few years in high school, I found that it's critical to plan ahead! Plan ahead for finals week, plan ahead for the SATs, and plan ahead for your future! Because when you don't have a set game plan, your life will tend to go askew. While you definitely should avoid stressing over the future, I've learned that laying out a map for where you want to be in six months, one year, or four years will save you unnecessary panic in the future.

3. Relationships Matter

When I was little, I thought I was the center of the universe, and maybe you did too. You thought everyone around you was born expressly to entertain you and keep you company. But high school taught me that relationships matter, and I need to build great ones that will last for a while. Strong relationships with teachers will help with recommendation letters when you apply for college or for a job. Tight-knit friendships come in handy when you need to vent about problems you can't comfortably discuss with your parents. In high school, I learned that people are not my toys, I need them and they need me, and that won't change after high school.

4. Procrastination is a Real Danger

I know from late nights and early mornings that procrastination is a real threat to student success. If you're the type of person to put things off until the last minute, you need to nip that habit in the bud! Procrastination will do you no good in the future, so you're lucky if you learn how dangerous it is in high school. To avoid procrastination, you can design a daily schedule and stick to it, so that your homework load is balanced throughout the week.

5. Integrity

We all have different degrees of conscience, so some of us feel guilty more easily than others. I'm definitely an easily-guilty person, so high school taught me the importance of integrity. I learned that it's never worth it to lie to a teacher or cheat on a test, because in the end you'll only have sacrificed your integrity just to maybe gain a few extra points in the class. It's definitely tempting to bend the rules to get ahead, but at the cost of your honor... Is it really worth it?

6. Tolerance

I've had my fair share of encounters with people I struggled to tolerate. Ignorant and rude people really get under my skin, but I understand that there will always be people like that in my life. I've had to work on group projects with people I couldn't stand, and the only way to make the experience bearable for both them and me was to tolerate them. So keep tolerance in mind as you embark on, continue, or wrap up your high school experience, because it's an invaluable trait!

7. Balance Work and Play

If you go through high school with an "all work, no play" philosophy, you'll probably graduate with a lot of regrets. Likewise, if you stroll through these years with an "all play, no work" mentality, you'll have regrets too when you see your life isn't going anywhere. So, to have the best experience possible, I've found that teens should balance work and play. Get out on the weekends, have your girlfriends come over frequently, go on dates if you feel like it! That way, once you're looking back at your high school experience, you won't feel like you missed out on anything! But during the school week, focus on your studies and do your homework. It will teach you valuable life skills and prepare you for the future you deserve!

8. My Personality Shapes My Style

One of the best lessons high school taught me is that my personality shapes my style. In middle school, my style was non-existent! When I look at pictures from that time, I wonder what was going through my head... But as I moved through high school, my style evolved alongside my personality. Yours will too as long as you aren't afraid to experiment with new looks! As you become independent, your personality flourishes. And, in time, your lovely personality will begin to influence the way you dress.

9. Money Really Doesn't Grow on Trees

I know, it's shocking right? Your parents were right when they told you money doesn't grow on trees. It was a difficult concept to grasp when you were younger, and all you knew was that for a few hours each day your parents disappeared to a magical land called "work" where they were paid to visit daily. But once you’re in high school, you begin to approach the time for you to find out where money really comes from. You may get a job, or have to work at home for money from your parents. Either way, high school will teach you that everything costs money, from yearbooks, to dance tickets, to senior trips. And once you understand that, you may have to pay for some of those things, so you learn first hand that money doesn't grow on trees.

Among the many important lessons your teachers will teach you during lecture time, high school will demand that you learn some life lessons all on your own. From experiences and relationships, you'll learn countless lessons that every young woman has got to learn early on in life. What important lessons has high school taught you?