Middle school to High school
High school is the part of your school career when you’re supposed to get serious. Or at least, that may be what your family, teachers, and others might be telling you. You’re expected to be more mature and start thinking about what you want to do during adulthood. The pressure is up! Deciding what direction you want to take in your life, or how to handle this next level of schooling, is easier said than done. Here’s some advice to help you navigate high school without looking back!
First, advice about thinking about the future. Common subjects for consideration are finances, career, and secondary education when planning one’s life after graduation. You’re probably also considering how practical your plan is or how it aligns with your values. Despite all of that forward thinking, you’re still living in the present. So the first piece of advice is to live in the moment as often as you can! Don’t let the future overwhelm you!
The next piece of advice is to go explore as much as you can! Get into new hobbies, learn about different things, go to new places, and look into industries you don’t know much about. Especially if you aren’t sure what you want to do. Oftentimes, there are industries and paths people don’t stumble upon until much later, when they’ve already committed themself to something else. So exploring now gives you a good chance to discover the thing that’s just right for you!
And lastly, do what you can at your own pace. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others or feeling you’re not making enough progress. Maybe some of your peers are good at socializing, or have already developed really good time management skills. Everyone has different strengths and develops at different times. At this point, trying your best is really what counts, and making mistakes is expected. You have more than enough time to get to where you want to go.
High School to Adulthood
After high school, there’s adulthood! And with adulthood, there’s adulting. Both very intimidating-sounding terms. Adulthood/adulting is a lot of things, and some people have an easier time adjusting and becoming well-rounded than others. There are so many things to look out for. Finances, career choices, new living situations, even politics and the world at large, seemingly all at once! But no one ever figures it all out all right away, and you don’t have to either. Make small steps, small achievable goals. Of course, your situation might not always allow you to take things slow. For instance, if you become responsible for more expenses than you expected. Similar to high school, this is the best time to make mistakes and learn from them. You have plenty of time to get the hang of things. Progress isn’t linear; your whole life is a cycle of continuous learning, adapting, and sometimes failing.
Something that helps with adapting is being organized. Organizing can go beyond making lists and putting things on calendars, or organizing a tangible space (but those things are all helpful, too)! For instance, vision boards are a good way to turn seemingly abstract dreams into tangible concepts. Flow charts can be used to map out different choices. There are a variety of different ways to get organized that can suit a variety of situations and personal preferences . It can be as simple as writing notes on sticky notes and setting them in places you know you’ll see them.
Beyond that, the last thing to remember is to be mindful! It’s easy to get caught up in new responsibilities, but responsibilities are temporary, while you’ll be in the same body indefinitely. Try prioritizing your physical and mental health, so that you can have a happier and healthier future!
Good luck out there! You got this!
WRITTEN BY: Kris Sanders, Empowerteen Student Intern