If you were to go back to high school what would you do differently?

Great question Hamid! If I could go back and do it all again I would have appreciated learning more than I did the first time around. The older I got, the more I valued my education (I still do, even in my career I'm actively trying to learn more!), so I always tell kids your age to stop and appreciate the opportunities you've been given, and to remind yourself that what you learn now, in high school, will not only benefit you now, but also throughout your entire life. Had I done this, I know that important recognition would have translated to better grades in the short term, and a quicker path to a fulfilling career in the long term.

More specifically, I wish I had participated in more substantially educational and impactful extra curricular activities (e.g. youth and government, debate team, volunteer work). Instead, I focused most of my time on sports, retail jobs, and social life. While most of what I did was important and taught me some valuable life lessons, these activities were a safe choice, things I knew I was good at. I wish now that I would have gotten more involved with things I was, at the time, afraid of exploring.

I hope this helps! Wishing you the best of luck. If you have any follow on questions please don't hesitate to let me know!!

I would have worked more closely with my guidance counselor, mentor or another objective person to determine career fits for me. Two careers I was interested in were teaching English and medicine, but my dad pressured me into entering the IT field, which was relatively new and growing at the time. It's been a good living but I often wonder how things might have turned out if I pursued either career instead of following my father's direction. I had no one else to discuss my career aspirations with, so my advice to you is to take the time to seek out a mentor, a guidance counselor, a spiritual director who can help you sort things out.

Hi Hamid. That's a great question and honestly really made me think. If I could do it over again I would learn to study. Don't get me wrong I got really good grades in high school, Honors, awards and all of that great stuff. However I never really had to study because it came easy to me. It took me four months of college to learn that my methods were not going to cut it. I got a C and immediately shut out all fun time for the next year to "learn" how to study. I was studying Electrical Engineering so I didn't have any time for slacking off because you needed a C or higher to not fail a course, and a C- is a 73...very strict rules and no wiggle room for a C.
Anyway I said all of that to say, I would have learned to study in high school if I could go back. I know that's what you expect everyone on here to say, but it's very true. College can be a wake up call if you don't prepare in high school.
I would also change the people I hung out with because I no longer speak to them now since I had more ambition than they did and a different life plan. You want people around you who want to go far in life and who won't take no for an answer when it comes to their education and career. The slackers tend to stay as a mediocre level and try to convince you it's the norm to do the same. I promise you its not the norm.
I would also swap out some of my time working in high school to train as an athlete because then maybe exercising wouldn't feel like a chore to me now, 10 years later.

Hope this helps in some way.

Devona T.

Hi,

Great question -- and you've gotten great answers already.

In my case, I would have kept the academics, the sports, and the social life but spent a little less time working outside of school and a little more time exploring the world, careers, and universities with an eye to deciding what I wanted. I also would have tried to save more money to use for travel in college (because then you're old enough to travel and travel gives you a different view of things which can really help when you're trying to figure out what kind of a life you want to build.)

Good luck in all you do!

I would step up and go above - beyond in every aspect. Education is most important.

I love this question! I think the best advice I can give is to cherish every moment, and more importantly; every relationship. Take time to stop and breathe and just really live in the moment...particularly in your senior year. You may not always be best friends with the people you share your high school experience with, but you may realize as you get older how certain people will make little special "guest appearances" in your memories. The time you share with your teachers and peers in your teenage years can greatly influence the choices you make later in life, whether it's deciding your major in college or deciding whether to live in another state or country later in life. Be present and live every day to the fullest!