06 Apr 2021

Hello and welcome to Izzy's Declassified School Survival Guide.

From rumours floating around that I ate my own scabs (I seriously don't) to rocking up to first period with green pimple cream all over my face, to accidentally setting the school alarms off... It's safe to say that I've made every possible mistake in high school.

But I survived. Here's how you can too.

 

1. Take life at your own pace

It's easy to feel like you need to catch up to your peers. Maybe all of them are drinking at parties but you're not into it yet. Maybe all of them are rooting around like rabbits and you're not ready yet. Maybe all of them are talking about post-school ops like uni, TAFE and work, and you have no idea yet...

The point of life isn't to stay in time with everyone else, but to do what feels right to you, when it feels right to you. Take life at your own pace.

2. Don't worry about being popular

Popularity comes in all different shapes and sizes. Maybe it's the class clown that gets invited to all the parties or the genetic fluke who had a seamless transition through puberty while the rest of us struggle with acne and growth spurts. Maybe popularity is bestowed onto the one who can host house parties at their mansion or one who always buys snacks from the canteen and shares them around at lunch...

But who cares! Don't spend your high school years wishing you were them! Live your best life! Likes on Instagram posts equate to literally nothing. After graduation, literally, no one cares about who was popular. I mean, it's not really something that can go on your resume; "yes, I was invited to the most parties in high school"... No one cares.

3. Look after yourself

You've heard it all before, but seriously, I'll say it all again for the kids at the back. LOOK AFTER YOURSELF! Exercise! Eat healthily! Wash yourself! Get enough sleep! Give yourself R & R time! If you're rocking up to high school tired, frazzled, hungry or withered, you're not going to retain any knowledge or have a vibey time.

4. Get some extracurricular activities under your belt

High school can be a real drag. Ngl, sitting in classrooms all day isn't my idea of fun. But every year I'd sign up for different extra curricular activities so my mornings and arvos were a little bit more exciting. I did running, touch footy, tae kwon do, art, dancing, gymnastics, violin lessons and guitar lessons to name a few!

Find hobbies, passions and activities whilst in high school. It makes the whole experience bearable. 

5. Talk sh*t get hit

Seriously. Talking smack about people behind their backs is just feral, but it's so easy to fall prey to it during high school. I get it, you're spending five days a week with the same people, things can get a little heated.

But you're genuinely bringing vibes down by talking smack about people. When gossip comes up, make it clear that you want no part of it. Lift people up instead.

6. Study in small doses

I can't believe I haven't even talked about the actual schoolwork yet. I mean, I guess Year13 have shared an abundance of incredible study tips.

My biggest study tip to survive high school would be to study a little bit every day, rather than cramming the night before like a madman on steroids. This helped me astronomically when I figured it out. Exams ceased to stress me out because I felt on top of it!

Also, find out how you study as well. I figured out that I am an auditory learner, so I'd just record myself reading through notes, listen to a little bit every day and VOILA. 

7. Ask for help

I know I've been joking around a bit here, but honestly, high school can be rough. I mean, life can be rough. Learning in your teen years to ask for help is so so so important. Go to your parents, your siblings, your mates, your councillor... Talk to anyone you feel comfortable with. Never bottle up your feelings. We're humans! We're meant to go through life together and learn from each other. So seek advice and solace from the people around you.

Anyways. I wanna end this with a quote from my favourite high school movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

High school can suck. But it can be so so so so so much fun. Don't just try to survive, send it as well and take it all in. It'll be over before you know it.