It’s that time of the year folks. The beginning of the school year. Freshmen are getting used to the place, sophomores are finally realizing they’re in high school, and juniors are on the cusp of feeling true stress. All jokes aside, it’s a new year for everybody, and that means everybody’s got some new experiences to go through as a student, no matter what grade you’re in. So for the younger ones, here’s some unsolicited advice from a senior that you definitely asked for.

Balance is key. Yes, high school is about having fun with your friends, doing all kinds of fun activities every single day of the week. However, it’s also a very important step in preparing you for the adult life, whether you decide to go to college, the workforce, or whatever you choose right after high school is over. The key is that you make sure to balance the fun things with the important, not as fun things, like studying. Priorities are something everyone has to learn at some point, and for most, it usually begins in high school.

Be kind. Most high schools, especially ours, have very diverse communities with people that come from all sorts of places and backgrounds. Because of this, people act differently, speak differently and think differently. Having differences is a part of life, and even if you don’t agree with them, you should at least try to be civil. Nobody truly knows what anybody else is thinking, nor do they know what they’re feeling, so please at least make attempts to tolerate one another. I understand it’s like your parents trying to convince you to play with that strange cousin at your yearly family gathering, but I promise being able to tolerate people that you don’t necessarily align with is quite a skill to be valued later in life.

The last piece of advice I’ll give to you is to be happy. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. You can be happy right now, or you can be happy later. You don’t have to be all smiles and laughs every second of the day, because that’s simply not realistic. It’s also terrifying. Just make sure that you remember that there are people who do believe in you and the things that you want to achieve. You’re not alone, and there’s many people both in the school and outside of it that are more than willing to help you with what you need. There are also funny cat memes on the internet, so do what you will with that information.