1. Keep Playing The Clarinet (And Actually Take It Seriously!)
Everyone at our school had to play an instrument for 3 years (from year 7 - 9, grade 6 - 8 if you're American). Even though I did play in year 10 too, I never took it very seriously. My teacher would always get annoyed because I couldn't keep the beat and I hardly ever practiced. I think I really missed out on something here because I never really took it seriously.
2. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay
It used to be my mission to make sure that every person that I ever encountered at school or otherwise thought I was simply great. It was really stressful and time consuming, trying to say the right things at the right times, but not to talk too much. I formed a type of list in my head of who I should approach and who I shouldn’t speak to unless spoken to. It was a mind game of hundreds of names and faces, and I tried to remember what ticked people off, or what topics they loved to talk about. I still did it until about a year ago; I was getting exhausted and it wasn’t doing me much good. I came across a poemy-quote that has really helped me.
"You must learn that you cannot be loved by all people.
You can be the finest apple in the world; ripe, juicy sweet, succulent,
And offer yourself to all,
But you must remember that there will be people who do not like apples.
You must understand that if you are the world’s finest apple,
And someone you love does not like apples
You have the choice of becoming a banana.
But you must be warned that if you choose to become a banana
You will be a second-rate banana.
BUT you can always be the finest apple.
You must always realise that if you choose to be a second-rate banana
There will be people who do not like bananas.
Furthermore,
You can spend your life trying to become the best banana …
Which is impossible, if you are an apple.
OR you can seek again to be
The finest apple."
Save yourself the trouble I went through, and don’t waste time on people who will not be a positive part of your life.
3. Get More Involved In Sports
I played soccer in Intermediate but like everything else I didn’t try very hard. I played well enough but I never really gave it a shot and again, I think I may have missed something vital there.
4. Grades do matter. Take every class seriously and try your best
You cannot, and will not, be able to convince your teachers to bump your C up to an A. You actually have to earn your grades. If you build strong study habits in high school, you will only carry your habits with you into the future.
5. Do not worry about the little insignificant things
Seeing photos on Instagram of a party you weren’t invited to isn’t the end of the world. The girls who betrayed you or the boy who rejected you will soon be forgotten. Also, stop dwelling on that one bad quiz grade. It’s not going to change the course of your future.
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