I’m not a super sentimental person, so I’ll just skip the whole ‘new chapter of your life,’ ‘best four years of your life,’ ‘leaving behind friends,’ ‘congratulations,’ stuff (because you’ll get enough of that at graduation and before you head off to college!) As you can tell by the title, I’m going to give you a few tips for walking away from those lockers, those hallways, and that cafeteria regret-free. Regrets don’t necessarily have to be huge screw-ups or major opportunities missed — sometimes we look back and think about that one small thing we forgot to do before leaving. These aren’t exactly life-altering, future-changing things to do, but they can make you leave high school feeling even more satisfied.
1. Add your favorite teachers on social media.
You don’t need to leave them all behind after high school. On Facebook, I friended a few of the adults from my high school that I really looked up to and really liked talking to in my free time. Later down the road you might find that you have a career-related question for them, or just need insight on a subject and they were the experts you got to know.
2. Do something you’ve always dreamed of doing in high school.
As long as it’s legal and allowed in school! I was a band geek and our band teacher has this tradition of letting two graduating seniors conduct the concert band during graduation. Since freshman year, I’ve dreamed of being one of the two seniors. Sure, I had some doubts because I didn’t want to accidentally mess up the beginning or fall off beat. So when he asked if anyone would like to tackle the job, despite everything inside me, I couldn’t bring myself to raise my hand. What a chicken. You only get one chance to do certain things, so make sure you take advantage!
3. Sit down for a conversation with your high school principal or vice principal.
My senior year was the year we got a new high school principal, and not many people cared to take the time to try to get to know him — they only cared that he was good-looking and so nice because he greeted the students at the door every morning. My senior year, I was able to sit down for a quick conversation with him, and I got to see pictures of his family, learn about his values in life, and I received valuable pieces of advice from him. I found that not only did everything he said resonate with me, but they were also great life goals to hold onto going forward. There are some wise words to be spoken in your high school, and they don’t all come from an English textbook!
4. Actually try to look good for graduation.
You don’t need to wear a super poofy Cinderella dress or the heels you wore to prom, but try to look neat and put together. I know a lot of people don’t care about graduation, but still try to look nice for all the pictures you’ll be taking later with your family and friends. Plus, this is literally the last time you’ll be in front of the entire graduating class, so you might as well show them how fabulously you’ll go off to college.
5. Don’t spend your last few days obsessing over the boy or girl you liked.
You probably aren’t going off to the same college as your crush, but maybe that’s for the best. Don’t think about countless ways to say goodbye to them, or how to ask them to hang out over the summer. Life goes on and you need to go with it. You’ll only be sad if you tried so hard to make that move and didn’t get to do it. Instead, have a good time with your friends and make plans with them this summer.
6. Wear your new college apparel to school one day.
Most high schools actually have a specific day for doing this, but if your school doesn’t or you missed it the first time, do it now! There’s just this great feeling of pride and accomplishment when you show off a university t-shirt or hat around the halls — it often tells people that you’re proud of the choice you made and proud of how you got there. And when you do this, take a picture! Don’t be one of those people who think they’re too cool to do this.
7. Take pictures with all your friends.
Take all the pictures you’ve ever wanted to! It’s nice to be able to look back at your high school self and your friends’ high school selves and see how much you’ve grown. It sounds cheesy, but personally, I wish I had taken more pictures of myself in high school because I barely have any that I feel shows who I really was in high school. Plus, this is a fun way to spend some time with your buddies!
Don’t walk away from high school without making sure that you’re really, truly satisfied with what you’ve been able to do in the last few weeks of your high school career. Even the little things count so don’t hold back!
How do you plan to leave high school with #noregrets?
