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Purpose, Perspective & Possibilities

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High school can feel like an out of control amusement park ride that is never going to end, but the truth is, it will. How do you make it better now or how do you just hold on until it ends? One strategy is to think about what you want your life to look like after high school. If you don’t like how people have labeled you in high school, start to think about who you want to be. What do you want out of life and what steps do you need to get there?
Here are some are some flashbacks, feelings and feedback from those who have survived the four-year roller coaster ride called high school. Maybe they have a tip to share that could make your high school journey a safer and smoother ride.

NEW! My high school experience was arduous to say the least. 9th and 10th grade were the worst, but 11th and 12th were no picnic either. Looking back, though, I feel like high school is the ultimate test of resilience. If you can make it through malicious bullies, teachers that could care less, the worst headaches known to man, and worst of all, all those deceptions in your head telling you you’re worthless, then you can get through anything, the way i see it.
I just finnished my freshman year of college and, let me assure you, whatever you do after high school, whether it’s travelling, college, working or just chilling, it’s much better than high school. People are usually much more compassionate and the strength you’ve acquired getting through the challenges of high school allow you to meet pretty much any demand.
For all you high school students reading this, questioning whether the journey is really worthwhile, I advise you to hang in there. When you feel desperate, remember that you’re not alone. Every other high schooler is in the same situation. Whether they show it or not, they’re probably feeling the same thing you’re feeling and asking the same questions you are.
Remember also the Buddhist mantra: om mani padme hum (“the jewel is the heart of the lotus”). For those of you not familiar, a lotus is an exquisite flower that can only thrive in murky, dark conditions, such as swamps. We have to cut through the agony to feel the bliss. It’s just the way it works.
The good news is, better things are on their way. And now, I will leave you with this speech from one of the most unforgettable films out there, and perhaps the most comforting for teenagers, Pump up the Volume:
“Okay this is really me now, no more hiding. Listen we’re all worried, we’re all in pain, that just comes with having eyes and with having ears. But just remember one thing: It can’t get any worse, it can only get better.
“I mean high school is the bottom. Being a teenager sucks, but that’s the point. Surviving it is the whole point. Quitting is not going to make you strong. Living will. So just hang on and hang in there. You know I know all about the hating and the sneering. I’m a member of the ‘why bother’ generation myself. But why did I bother coming out here tonight and why did you? I mean it’s time. It begins with us, not with politicians, the experts, or the teachers, but with us, with you and with me, the ones who need it most.
“I believe with everything that’s in me that the whole world is longing for healing. Even the trees and the earth itself are crying out for it, you can hear it everywhere. Everyone mix it up, it's not game over yet, it's just the beginning, but it’s up to you. I’m calling for every kid to seize the air. Steal it, it belongs to you. Speak out, they can’t stop you. Find your voice and use it. Keep this going. Pick a name, go on air. It's your life, take charge of it. Do it, try it, try anything. Spill your guts out and say shit and f*** a million times if you want to, but you decide. Fill the air, steal it. Keep the air alive!”
—Paz, 20

I think all of my friends agree that if we had the choice to go back to high school we never would, but we appreciate our time there and what we have learned from it. In retrospect, we look back at the things we have done, the things we said, and we laugh. During high school, I would never have been capable of doing that.
—Jena, 23

I just want to get out of school so I can start my life on my own.
–Andrew, 15

I wish I’d had a college student’s guidance. Someone to say, “Yes it sucks, and it’ll all change in just a few months. Hold on!” This simple statement from a non-parent would have helped tremendously. Despite being at the height of the rebellious stage, I still think that I would have taken to heart the suggestions of people who had been through it. Most of the time high school kids are enamored by older, “cooler” college kids, wanting to seek out the secrets of their own future. I would not only have benefited from this important knowledge as far as staying in school goes, but I think I would have had a hint of perspective to realize “the world doesn’t end here.” It would have helped.
—Joel, 21

I wish I knew I didn’t have to accept the way things were, and that I could have made a difference. I think if I had tried to be more active in changing things, I could have made a difference there for others.
—Josh, 20

I was surprised to discover how easy real life is compared to the expectations of high school.
—Nancy

The tests in college are a lot more cumulative of everything you study. You need to know everything in the chapter, not just the definitions. Now that you’re on your own, teachers don’t check whether you come to class or not. So you have to do it on your own, and not just go to class to not get in trouble.
—Matthew, 18

I found out very quickly that I wasn’t the big fish in the little pond anymore! I proudly graduated in the top 10% of my senior class of about 550 kids at a top suburban high school. Suddenly I was plopped down in the midst of a bunch of brilliant freshmen from all over the world in college! There I was, in classes with amazing kids who were National Merit scholars, kids at the very top of their classes, kids from the world’s elite private schools. My professors were imposing and demanding too. My French instructor was a French woman with an accent so strong she might as well have been speaking Chinese for all I could understand—even though I’d gotten As in high school!
It was a humbling and terrifying experience! What the heck was I doing there? But gradually through time, I found my own strengths. I also learned that these brilliant global students were just people too—with some of the same interests, dreams, and passion for life. In time that freshmen year, and with a lot of patience and new friends, I eventually found ways I could swim a little more freely in those bigger, scarier, and much more challenging waters.
—Linda

What surprised me most about my life after school is how many more people accepted others in college and in “real life.” They weren’t so cliquey. Rather, the judgmental and snotty people were the minority rather than the norm. I was also surprised at how popular I became at college which was the opposite experience I had in high school.
—Cheryl

My life is significantly better than in high school. I have a great job, a wonderful girlfriend, a car, strong relationships from college, a litany of experience, etc. In high school, I thought I was more of a follower than a leader. In college, I demonstrated many leadership characteristics. Compared to high school, my life has improved ten-fold. Life does get better! Independence, freedom, flexibility, and wisdom are just some of the benefits post-high school.
—Stephen, 22

*indicates material that was submitted anonymously

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