33 Tips For High School Students (

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I posted this in the education forum of this message board, but I will post it here also
as this is mainly targeted for adolescents who are about to begin or are already in
high school.

As a person who is graduating high school very soon, I have advice for students in
high school or students who are soon going to be high school students. Many of
these are based on regrets that I have made or regrets that people I know have made.

I don't consider myself to be an authority figure or a professional of any kind and
I do not mean to be condescending or professorial. Some of these tips may be
repetitive, but they all are connected to a central theme. Many of these may be
obvious to you and some may not, but these are a list of things I wish I was told
before I during my early years of high school, and I am sure others can benefit
from reading this.

(While they are all important, the most important ones are bolded.)

1) Do Not Be Too Quick To Judge
Do not value first impressions highly. Don't dismiss a person or idea too early
just because you immediately get a bad impression from it. You will miss many
opportunities because of that. Just because something seems bad at first
impression, does not mean it is bad. Try to give everything a fair chance.

2) Do Not Let Your Friends Slip Away
If your friendship with someone is slowly weakening, take iniative immediately to
try to repair it instead of allowing your situation to exacerbate. Identify a
possible reason why the friendship is weakening. If you think is your fault, try
and make ammends immediately.

3) Do Not Ever Hold Grudges
Holding a grudge is like holding a trade embargo. It is intended to hurt the other
party, but it hurts you equally. Don't seek revenge either. Spending your high
school years focusing on the tension between you and another person is not
pleasant.

4) Do Well In Academics
That's the one thing that you don't want to screw up. Develop good academic habits
for college, absorb the information being taught to you, and walk out of high school
with a good GPA. If not, you are making waste of the most important function of
high school.

5) Do Not Get Into Drama
If the problem doesn't involve you, don't get involved. As tempting as it seems to
get in a conflict, mediate, take sides, and try to resolve it, it just isn't worth
it. It may give you enemies, it is a huge waste of time, and it produces no
benefits for you.

6) Pick The Right Classes
Once you pick a class, you are stuck with it for the whole year. Don't pick a class
that you won't want to take for the whole year for a stupid reason. There are so
many classes and only a limited amount of them you can take, so think carefully.
High school is an opportunity to learn about so many things, so just pick courses
that you always wanted to learn.

7) Have Respect For Authority
No matter how much you may dislike them at the time, just remember that teachers and
parents care about you and are only doing their job. Listen to their advice and
heed it. Don't argue with them and just obey them.

8.) Get Your Driver's License Right Away
Keep that on a high priority. Pass the written test as soon as you can. Get as
much practice as you can and pass the driving test as soon as you can. Don't push
this off until later. Get this out of the way as soon as possible.

9) Don't Be A Victim Of Fads
Wearing the latest fashion, getting the newest electronics, getting a popular
haircut, and spending much time trying to follow the latest trends is all a waste.
Fads don't matter in a few months and they are not in your interest - only in the
interest of giant corporations who market to the masses. Who cares if somebody
has a 50 inch television or a brand-name shirt while you don't. It's not going to
matter in 10 years.

10) Don't Try To Please Everybody
There is no way you can please everybody or get everybody to agree with you. Don't
spend any effort trying to please others who will never like you. It is a huge
waste of time.

11) Do Not Draw Negative Attention
Don't say anything offensive and do not be a pessimist. Don't have bad hygeine or
act immaturely. Even if you have a thought you are passionate about, keep it to
yourself if it is offensive.It takes a lot of time to repair a bad image and it is better to
have no attention at all than to get negative attention.

12) Join Several Clubs / Activities / Sports
It is a great way to meet friends, take up new interests, augment your college
application. What's not to like? If you don't, you may be missing on several
opportunities.

13) Don't Value Athletics Too Highly
In high school and in college, athletics are valued VERY highly, but after that,
they mean almost nothing. The person who spends every day on the football
field will be top dog in high school and college, there is no reward for athletics,
unless you are among the lucky 1% of athletes, in the real world. But this is not
only about athletics.

14) Create A Set Of Goals
Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish by the end of high school, make a
plan on how you would like to reach them, and work towards them. There is a lot
of room for improvement and there is no reason not to improve.

15) Learn To Say The Word "No"
Saying "Yes" too often is an awful vice. It can easily allow you to be encumbered
by selfless tasks which are at no benefit to you. And if you say "Yes" to one thing,
as a natural consequence, you have to say "No" to something else. So just learn
to say the word "No", a lot.

16) Don't Make The Wrong Friends
Friends who use others, friends who engage in criminal activity, friends who
immature, and friends who you can never have a serious relationship with are a waste
of an investment. Also, there are people who are insecure or selfish and want nothing
more than to bring you down at their expedience. Don't be victim to them. Make the
right friends rather than being influenced by the wrong friends.

17) Remember That You Are Young
You are immature: physically, mentally, and emotionally. You are comparatively dumb.
There is a lot of room for improvement and growth, so don't deny yourself that
improvement and growth because you think you are superior to your elders.

18.) Your Views Will Change
The views you have now, even if you hold them 100% firmly, will most likely change
as you get older and begin to mature. Your political views, your opinions, your
beliefs, your interpretation of your past, everything. So keep that in mind that
what you think now might not be true at all.

19) Learn To Take Responsibility
Doing whatever you want regardless of the consequences because your
parents or teachers are there to fix it. It's an awful habit. Learn to be
accountable for yourself and learn self-discipline. Eventually, you will grow up
and the only person who will bear the consequences of your actions is you.

20) Stay In Healthy Shape
Get a sufficient amount of sleep, eat healthy, take vitamins, exercise, and avoid
reckless behavior. Your overall health does have an indirect effect on your
academics, sports, activities, and friendships. You only get one life, so be well in it.

21) Educate Yourself Outside Of School
If school is your only source of knowledge, you will be ignorant and will probably
never even open a book after you graduate school. Learn as much as you can outside
of school: about finances, politics, marketable skills, useful skills, etc.

22) See Things In Other People's Perspective
The decisions people make, may seem odd to you, but try to step in their shoes and
try to imagine why they would do the things that they do. Were they a victim of of
something, do they have good intentions, do they have something to gain out of what
they are doing, are they thinking illogically, or are you thinking illogically?

23) Plan For After High School
You shouldn't have a specific plan on what you want to do early in high school, but
as the years pass by, make sure you have a plan. Whether it is college, a
vocational school, or the military, just make sure you have a plan for something,
and make sure you are working to acheive that goal.

24) Be Thankful Of Everything You Have
There are many people in the world who are poor, starving, uneducated, and on the
verge of death, and there are millions of people in history who have suffered from
war, famine, and slavery. So be thankful for everything you have.

25) It's All About The Habits
Bad habits are hard to break and remain with you for a long time. Don't fall into a
trap which can hurt you your whole life. Simultaneously, develop good habits which
you would like to carry with you your whole life.

26) Understand The Value Of A Dollar
The labor of a high school student is worth minimum wage (about 7.50 per hour and
possibly part time). The labor of someone who has graduated college is a salary of
around $35,000-100,000+, so understand how the money you have during high school
means almost nothing and that the money you will be making your whole life matters.

27) Beware of Time-Wasting Entertainment
While everybody has some kind of entertainment they use to unwind or destress, make
sure you keep time-wasting entertainment (such as spending hours and hours in watching
television at a low priority. Just like some of the jocks who waste their high school years with
a sole focus on sports, there are people who waste their high school years on video games
which are not going to matter at all in the future.

28.) Don't Be An Idealist
Just accept reality. The world is not perfect and justice doesn't always win. Make decisions
based on what things are and not on what things should be. Don't be a black and white
all-or-nothing thinker: either it has to be 100% this or 0%. While ideas such as all of the
above sound great in philosophical theory, they do not always work in reality. Ideals are
good to have, but sometimes it is best to just be practical.

29) If It Is Too Good To Be True...
Then it probably is.

30) You Have A Lot Of Time
You have very very very high amount of free time on your hands to use however you
wish. You can waste it in front of a television screen or you can use it
productively. The choice is up to you.

31) Realize High School Isn't The Real World
High school is not the real world. The real world isn't a closed environment. It
is a free society where people accept responsibility for their actions. What is
rewarded in high school (popularity, athleticness, rote memorization, obedience) is
different from what is rewarded in the real world. If high school isn't working out
for you, you may find yourself better in handling the real world.

32) How Will This Impact Me In Five Years?
Ask that question with every big decision you make.

33) Understand The Difference Of Scale
High school is four years long. The rest of your life is statistically sixty years
long. So ask yourself what is more important: to be more successful in your four
years to be more successful in your entire life.

Several of these may not apply to some of you while others will. I know the explanation
for each tip is very brief, but whether this guide is 2 pages long or 10 pages long, the
main thing that matters is whether these basic tips are followed or not.

A lot of these are general, and people who read this will still probably make some
of these mistakes, but the important thing is to try not to make mistakes and learn
as much as you can from them if you do.

Please share your thoughts on this list.

I'm way past high school, but this advice is really good. Thanks for posting it!

Well I'm a Junior in high school and your advice is pretty good, but my advice is:
Be yourself and screw everyone else!
Any kid with AS is gonna be pretty much unhappy throughout all of high school, for one reason or another. Just make the best of it and be yourself.
This philosophy has gotten me through 3 years, and it'll get my through my last year.
Of course, this philosophy has also gotten me kicked out and sent to an alternative school where teachers like to beat up kids.

I feel obliged to have mixed feelings about this. If someone seems to be a complete and utter moron as far as academics and friendships are concerned (meaning, they constantly interrupt teachers, swear and fight) - don't get concerned with them. Ignore them (in my eyes). However, if they speak to you in a friendly manner, speak back. You may be surprised (e.g. I know a relatively violent (but hard working) friend whom only participated in violence due to having got into the wrong group). Naturally, don't assume a bad first impression on your part has ruined everything.



I apologise, buddy, you're one day too late... I took the initiative and told my friends in the politest way possible, but one of those friends didn't accept it and turned the others against me... Oh, well.



Example: I've held a grudge against a former friend for years after he'd done a rather... unsavoury, disgusting thing to me (nothing particularly unclothed, ofcourse). I've never really forgiven him for that, but he's already forgotten about it. As for Revenge, no revenge whatsoever. It only lands you in trouble.



Straight A's so far. Although I care about my friends, I am willing to stab each one of them in the back if it could get me to Oxford or Cambridge University and to a better future abroad. This is my motivation. Although friends are good for the time being, they (in my eyes) may provide a hindrance to academics at certain times. You cannot allow yourself to be hindered. Therefore, if that time comes, I would suggest explaining to your friends and then possibly separating from them ever so slightly for a while. Naturally, we are "little professors", learning is our forte.




This probably was the cause of #2. I was constantly paranoid that they were keeping secrets from me. My trust of them was rock-bottom by them. So, as of #2, I took the initiative to tell them "I feel as if we're hiding behind a façade of trust, you should stop hiding things from me" (very short version, I said it far politer in the message). He tried to prevent myself from getting involved in Drama but, due to my paranoia, I thought otherwise - so he gave up on me. I was tempted, before he'd "fell out" with me, to apologise - but I chose not to, and Ta-da.



This should be Bolded, as it fits in with #4 drastically. Pick a class you're bad at and you will do badly.



If there's one thing I bitterly have a hatred for, it's rude, ignorant people who feel the need to disrupt the lessons, time and patience of others. I cannot empathise with them and, quite frankly, I don't want to.



I'll keep that in mind for when I'm the legal driving age.



Agreed. I'll stop myself from posting my true thoughts about bad role models and stereotypes, because doing so will most certainly cause me to be warned. Anyway, my thoughts: Fads are incredibly bad. Especially if the "fad" is to disrespect authority, bad-mouth etc.



Ofcourse. I'll refrain from using my former examples related to myself once again. Too late for me, anyway. I've wasted two years of my life trying my hardest to get the friendship above a very low, static level that is has been at. In my eyes, them "falling out" with me is a relief.



I, myself, wouldn't say not to be a pessimist, rather, keep the pessimistic thoughts to yourself and close friends. As for the other pieces of negative attention, they mostly lead to point #1. People will judge too quickly for any of the others.



If only, if only... I have often wished there was a logical club of some sort in my school. There's sports clubs, dance clubs, drama clubs... Nothing, however, logical.



Haha! I couldn't have put it more bluntly myself! I am, truly, proud of you for that point. Athletics mean nothing, it is all about intellect and logic. I, myself, bitterly hate Athletics - seeing it pointless and meaningless (granted, the study of bones and muscles is somewhat a good thing, the exercise is (in my eyes) worthless).



Agreed. However, I do little of this myself. I aim for A grades, I work towards them (and am getting them). What I don't do, however, is revise during my free time...



I can say nothing other than "Teach me, almighty master". I am, quite frankly, a "yes" man. I find it selfless and meaningless, I hate it, but I feel compelled to do it. I even go as far as to hold doors open for everyone...



Agreed. I never befriend anyone who, in my eyes, is a "yob".



I couldn't have made that any more belittling...



For me, there are many views that have never changed and, I hope, never will change.



...And when that time comes, I'll have so much money that it'll never matter anyway. However, quite seriously, I read up so much about British Etiquette and cleanliness and, yet, I can never apply it to real life. I also have a rather strange fear of bins. Other than that, I can meet deadlines etc. with ease.



Physically, I am near the upper end of "Average" weight on my BMI. I'm constantly tired, however, I do take vitamins and eat healthily. I never exercise. I hate anyone who would stoop so low as to participate in unhealthy behaviour (drinking, drugs etc.) - so I'm pretty safe from that.



I read the newspaper, and a few other books... But that's about it. How can you revise when you, yourself, are the embodiment of perfection? Arrogant, I know, but I feel as if there is very little I do not know.



I am never illogical. I am, however, highly paranoid - and that usually leads to my downfall.



I've been working since age 10, and the goal has never changed, nor has it got less exciting. Computer Game Designing. I am currently learning C Scripting at this very moment.



...And how does this help us? Sure, we can look upon the past and make sure not to make the same mistakes, but how do we benefit from thinking "Wow, I'm glad I'm not enslaved right now."? True, it's an optimistic thought, but how do we benefit from doing so?



Too late. *picks fingernails*



Isn't this basically the same as "do well academically and you will get alot of money"?



Point #23. Video Games do matter for my future plans.



As much as I bitterly hate it, there will always be racism, discrimination, heterosexism etc. There will always be people that break laws, corrupt politicians charging obscenely large prices etc. There will always be corruption. My parents made sure I knew this at a relatively young age, you cannot avoid corruption. In this world, there are no "good guys", only bad. You need to look out for yourself, and that is all that really matters.



Why is this not bold? I'll give you an example: I have a crush on a friend of mine. At the moment, I assume myself to be of homosexual orientation. He was constantly "touching up", hugging and sitting on the knees of his friends. I make the mistake of asking him in school if he is gay. He says, obviously, no. I invited him over to my house and questioned him casually there. Again, no. I'd have gave up there, but from then on he'd give me flirty winks whenever he saw me - and continued his activities. The tension increased, as did the drama, and now. He's best friends with the person that "fell out" with me. I do not yet know what his decisions are now (obey his best friend by avoiding me, or not), but either way, I'm finding it difficult to just look at him as a "friend" and I feel as if I was the cause of all this drama.



I wish I knew how to use it productively.



Which is, ofcourse, bad for me. I am mostly fully obedient no matter what, which could cause far too many problems in my future life.



I wish I'd asked that many a time. "Hm... I know this group of people better (despite the fact that they speak in a belittling manner to me), but I've been wanting to be a part of that group for a while now and the option is open and I am being accepted with open arms... Which do I choose?" Let's just say, I made the wrong decision. A decision that will, most likely, never appear again. I've been regretting it for years.



I couldn't agree more. 4 long years, they may be, but obviously the 60 years are far more important.

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"Screw everyone else"...? Not exactly my own opinion... Screw other pupils, perhaps, but you can't screw authority. The reason for school, other than learning, is to conform to the belief that our ability to follow strict guidelines makes us far more civilised than any animal/ape could possibly be.

Science disagrees with that one:


As for the "do well in academics" BS, Richard Branson did badly in school, and loads of successful rich people have dyslexia. Bill Gates didn't finish college, neither did Steve Jobs. Full list of college dropout billionaires can be found here.

Whether they went to college or not, they were undoubtedly gifted in their area of expertise. Bill Gates, for example, was undoubtedly gifted in computing and Programming. Perhaps even systems and controls. Although he was dyslexic and dropped out of college, he began life (age 13) in a strict, exclusive preparatory school that most certainly taught him the importance of Academics. He also scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT.

Of course they were good at their area of interest, but that dosen't mean they cared about academics (though Bill Gates may well have).

Here's another example: Felix Dennis. He started out in publishing because he did well working for a magazine. He says himself he didn't choose publishing because he's the best publisher or anything, plus he did business in lots of different areas too, such as computer sales (despite knowing nothing about computers). But he got rich from it; he's worth about £500,000,000. He didn't finish college either, but he was very good at business.

The only thing you need to be successful in business is sufficient motivation and application. You don't need any "talent" (though it helps), or to have a high IQ, or high grades.

There are, however, some rules to business. Why do you think "Business Studies" is an option in schools nowadays? Location, Merchandise, Population of Customers etc. all play a contributing factor. Anyone who gets a Distinction on their Business Studies and/or studies it in University are more likely to run a business/get a high position/become an entrepreneur due to the simple fact that they already know almost everything there is to know in running a business without needing trial and error.

Maybe so, and I am quite good at Business Studies in school myself. But though that information is useful, it can't give you the motivation. You can teach someone every little thing about business, but if they don't have the motivation to use it, they will never be successful.

Also, knowing all that dosen't mean there's no risk in starting out in business either. It is ALWAYS trial and error when starting a new business venture, no matter what you know or who you are.

I fully believe that someone with loads of motivation who has never done Business Studies in school will do a lot better than someone doing it as a subject but who lacks that motivation. The motivated, uneducated, person will simply learn as they go on. That's why there were entrepreneurs before they started teaching it in school.