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Read This Before You Graduate: a Letter to High Schoolers

Student Life

November 09, 2024

Dear Reader,

It’s okay not to have your life figured out by the age of sixteen. You’re not meant to decide how your life will be when starting high school, even if everyone says you have to. It’s a privilege not knowing how the future will turn out, having every door open to you, and most importantly, having the rest of your life to determine who you are.

Life does not end when you fail a chemistry test or when you oversleep and your whole day goes bad afterward. Everyone suffers from bad, gloomy days where giving up seems much more reasonable than going on. This is the point where a person’s will and discipline is determined.

Having the ability to put anything that restricts you from your goals and obstacles away is what will get you through hard times in life. Acing a test on material you already knew and found easy to understand is less admirable than getting a decent grade on material you proudly fought to digest. High school is nothing like middle or elementary school. You’ll have to pull all-nighters, study for hours at weekends, and sacrifice spare time to keep up with homework. There will be months crammed with tests and exams where mental breakdowns may eventually appear.

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But these are also the years that you are destined to have the time of your life (as well as your college years). Don’t forget to have fun and live in the moment between school and studying. You’ll never be seventeen again talking to random strangers in the club.

You’ll never be sixteen again going for a swim at five am on a chilly July morning. You’ll never be eighteen again, having your last first day in high school. Time doesn’t go back, so don’t be afraid of trying things that are out of your comfort zone. In my opinion, it’s better to regret something you did, than being sorry that you never gave it a try. Fear will make you miss out on life.

Now it’s the time you meet new people, establish new friendships, and separate your true friends from the fake ones. You will have the privilege to learn about people from completely different backgrounds and have deep conversations with people whose mindset is very much not like yours. You’ll seek and find the meaning of true friendship, as now you’ve grown and you are ready to establish deep, meaningful connections with people.

Cupid’s bow will eventually hit you, and you may stumble upon someone you’ll end up liking for a week or end up loving for a long time. It’s time to learn how to love, to make mistakes, and to feel free to do anything you want.

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You are free to become whoever you want. With effort, persistence, and consistency, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. You’re not studying to pass your next exams anymore.

You’re studying for your future, and that can be scary. It may seem that your whole life depends on your grades, but it really doesn’t. Even if you fail, it doesn’t mean that your life has to end. Tons of successful people have not accomplished their goals on their first try. Everything is going to be okay as long as you believe that you are capable and worthy of making your dreams come true.

Your future depends entirely on you. You are free to follow whatever path you want in life. And how will you know which one to follow?

Every book you’ve read, every conversation you’ve had, every place you’ve seen, every song you’ve heard, every person you’ve loved, every friend you’ve held close to you will shape you as a person. All your experiences, emotions, thoughts, and secrets will trace the steps to the right path for you.

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Lastly, I wish everyone reading this to enjoy their teenage years to the fullest. Then, probably when you least expect it, your life will suddenly be all figured out and you will realize how lucky you were to have such amazing memories!

Valentine Marselou
5,000+ pageviews

Valentine is a Greek high school student who dreams of becoming a pediatrician. In her free time, you will see her reading books, catching up with friends, watching Gilmore Girls, working out, or volunteering online.

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