Let’s face it; we were all pretty stupid as freshmen. Try all you want, there is no denying it.

     I think everyone can agree that in the time that passes between being a freshman and a senior, you are two completely different people. 

Or at least I hope so.

     The yelling in the hallway, the obnoxious make-up that took an hour to put together, the low-cut tops and outfits, the flaky I love you’s to every girl in the hallway – I certainly hope you managed to be done with those things by the time twelfth grade arrived.

As a senior, let’s hope that you have become a little more self-aware and much less self-involved.

And in between, if you’re like me, you had to learn who you were-  and sometimes you learned that the hard way.

     In freshman year, I was so worried about boys, having a big group of friends, going to sporting events, and just being noticed.  I don’t think I ever noticed when someone around me was struggling. I was just too self-involved that I just didn’t see it. I literally thought the world revolved around me. Surprise, surprise: it didn’t.

     As a senior, I don’t really care about sporting events unless I have a friend playing. I don’t need a huge friend group. I am content with the friends I have, and I am happy with who I am. I don’t need random strangers to tell me my worth.

     I walk in the hallways and I see how some freshmen act and think that I never acted like that, but in reality, I most definitely did, and looking back, WOW; that’s embarrassing.

     As you get older, obviously, you learn and you grow naturally, but if you are too worried about your social status you are going to miss out on learning about yourself and then you are definitely going to learn the hard way that most of the time, that status is fleeting and not worth the price you may pay to get have it.

     90 percent of the time, the people you consider to be your best friend in ninth grade will not be your best friend sophomore year, let alone senior year.

      So my advice is simple:  get it together.

The things you think are important… they’re not. Learn from the millions of mistakes you are going to make and become a better person.

 You’ll thank me.