<p>What would’ve have you changed about your high school life to prepare you for your college life? Write a letter to your high school self?</p>
<p>Here’s what I would tell my high school self (I’m a Senior in HS writing to my Freshman HS self)</p>
<p>Dear High School Self,</p>
<p>Go to private school instead of public school or go to an IB School. Take more AP’s. Join XC, Powerlifting, and Tennis. Don’t trust some of the people in my life, they will use you and hurt you. Be more outgoing and keep in touch with people more often. Smile more.</p>
<p>Work harder, get some work ethic, find a passion. Meet people outside of this school so you don’t think the only world-view is that of elite rich kids. And don’t let yourself get out of shape you fat ****.</p>
<p>From Current Self</p>
<p>I feel like this is the the first step toward schizophrenia.</p>
<p>Change schools when your parents give you the opportunity. Seriously. Apply to go to a university summer program. Starve yourself if you have to, just DO NOT GET FAT (do you have any clue how hard it is trying to get rid of it now?). Quit your religion now and tell your parents early so they have time to adjust - don’t wait until the year you apply to universities to decide to leave, because then you’re going to be hiding it for at least another 4 years (also, use logic and tell mom very coolly to be quiet when she starts shouting - that should do the trick). </p>
<p>Don’t try talking to the two kids you kinda like talking to; they’ll just ignore you and you’ll come to regret it later. And that essay you wrote for that one university? Complete and utter ******** - please try and sound less whiny. And try to be less impulsive with the other university that’s going to reject you. Really, you could’ve got in if you actually wanted to put the work in. Also, you don’t need to apply to many places, and don’t worry about the rejections, you’re going to really warm up to the one that accepts you.</p>
<p>And those pictures of yourself - you know the ones I’m talking about - don’t. Just don’t. Now, if you write back, I’ll give you a list of websites I found particularly enjoyable…</p>
<p>Love,
Yourself.</p>
<p>Now, if I could meet myself, I would actually be doing some serious lecturing. Not about what everyone thought was wrong with me, but other stuff that only I thought I did wrongly.</p>
<p>Haha… I thought OP’s “take more AP’s” was funny…</p>
<p>Dear High School gotakun,
Give your future university some thought, then apply to your picks as a freshman, instead of waiting to get your A.S. at the community college. I know community college is free, but you’ll probably save more money with the financial aid you get as a freshman. Also, don’t take any APs; they’re not worth the extra work and drop in GPA. Befriend that boy you have a crush on and just make moves. If he’s not interested, move on. Ask that cute girl out; she probably has a crush on you anyway, and she’d be a good first. Stop doing drugs or you’ll regret wasting your life in a couple years. Volunteer more, and don’t be afraid to show the kids how much you care about them. Get some new clothes; looking like a hobo isn’t attractive. Quit playing WoW NOW; they’re about to expand it and ruin the game forever, and you’re not even 60, you newb.</p>
<p>I remember one of my teachers in middle school required us to write a letter to ourselves that the teacher said they would mail in something like 15-20 years. I questioned how he’d be able to find us and all that sort of stuff and how it seemed like a silly activity. He said he’d do his best to track us down and send it.</p>
<p>He’s currently in prison for having sex with a number of his students. I win. </p>
<p>Dear HS Self:
Attached is a list of all of the parties that got busted, those that got busted and have hot girls, and those that didn’t get busted. Also, you left your guitar (the D28) outside at Max’s by the seawall. It will get stolen if you don’t go back there ASAP. I know it was a holiday gift, but that thing was expensive. Don’t let it get stolen. Plus, you will end up paying a lot in the future for a ****ty guitar if you don’t save that thing.<br>
Current Self</p>
<p>I just had a conversation about this with my mom. This is a fun exercise.</p>
<p>Dear High School Jill,</p>
<p>When you are asked, “what are you going to do with your life?” don’t let them make you think that only means career. While your career is going to be a big part of your life, it is not everything or even the most important part. You need to think about where you see yourself in 10 years, and if that’s what you want. Don’t think you are obligated to take on tons of debt and rush through college to be a slave to the bank for the rest of your life at the expense of owning a home someday and having a family. Those things aren’t more important to you now, but they will be. Don’t sacrifice everything just to get a job. You will regret it.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the rest. It will come in time. You have a lot of growing to do, and you just need to let it happen and do the best you can. And remember to enjoy yourself once in a while.</p>
<p>I’d rather write a letter to my elementary school and middle school self.
If I could go back, I would have been a total hellraiser since getting in trouble back then, didn’t really have any severe negative consequences compared to now or in HS.</p>
<p>See that math homework you’re about to start doing? Well don’t. Let it be late. Maybe even forget about it completely. Go enjoy a lovely, carefree day sometimes… and stop playing Ultima Online so much, in the end you get super bored of it anyways. Having goals to continue on to college is great, but don’t feel like you have to finish “on time”. Life is a process, not a means to an end. Oh, and that extra money you saved up for years? Don’t waste it on that apartment you’re going to impulsively rent to get away from the troubles of home. It doesn’t work out, and you end up spending a lot of money getting out of that deal. Instead, buy a dirtbike. You’ll enjoy it more.</p>
<p>Don’t grow your hair out in 10th grade. Keep up the lifestyle of 9th grade, don’t devolve into a loser nerd for an entire year and lose all that progress. Also don’t slack off in 10th grade, stop playing video games in 10th grade. I don’t care what you think is a good idea between August 2007 and July 2008, don’t do it.</p>
<p>Get involved in student government earlier and take over. Do not put all your cards into the newspaper. Get a summer internship with some politician. Spend more time with the friends on the block. Don’t put so much time into CN.</p>
<p>You probably think you’re pretty awesome and doing all the right things, right? Wrong. Stop obsessing over that institute up north, you know which one I’m talking about. Hate to crush all your hopes and dreams, but you’re going to get deferred and then ultimately rejected. You’ll meet some cool folks along the way, so don’t give up on the process. You’ll get over it and eventually end up happy at the popular State U that you detest. Go ahead and load up on dual-enrollment courses at the local CC the summer between 11th-12th as you planned. You’ll be glad to have all those easy As and Gen Eds out the way once you get to college and you’ll deeply regret it if you don’t. DO NOT let the deadline for that 2008 summer program/internship slip by; you really aren’t too busy, just lazy.</p>
<p>Stop being such a prude. Just…stop. Loosen up socially, be more approachable and friendly. Explore and spend more time on those little creative outlets that you started to get into. Chill out about everything and stop stressing so much, it’ll all work out in the end :)</p>
<p>It’s funny that someone brought this up… In my first week of high school we were told to write notes to ourselves in the future which would be put somewhere and given back to us during senior year. I had forgotten about it until I got into Caltech and the counsellor gave mine back to me. My note to myself</p>
<p>Dear TheYankInLondon,</p>
<p>Interested my change but whatever you decide to do, do your best and enjoy it.</p>
<p>PS Assuming the teachers don’t actually open and reseal these there should be a twenty in here somewhere.</p>
<p>Dear HS self,
I could give you great advice that would give you an excellent shot at the schools you want to go to. Unfortunately, since I was you, I know that you will ignore any advice I give you because you are a ****ing idiot and think you know it all, so I will not waste my time.
Current Self</p>
<p>Don’t play soccer, its a waste of time, start playing baseball freshman year. Also, when that certain someone freshman year tells you how she feels, dont scare away, tell her how you feel. Community college sucks so I suggest you actually do some work so you can be a longhorn for 4 years. Again, I stress this, you were friends with this girl all throughout freshman year but you were too scared to tell her how you feel, and than she transferred, and you will regret it, so go for it champ. Lastly, don’t quit your job senior year, you will lose touch with your crush, alright l8.</p>
<p>Don’t take anyone seriously. They’re just clowns. Oh yeah, and look hot. That’s pretty much 100% of your worth in HS. Get your nails done, your hair done, exercise, wear makeup, whatever it takes to look great. Focus on your writing. You have potential and you should spend as much time doing it as possible.</p>
<p>Basically, just do what you love in style. :)</p>
<p>Never ever ever ever play Maple Story freshman year. No wonder you got crappy grades when you know you could of done so well that year. You are smart and you should not let people set how well you can do. By the way the band shirts need to go. All in all, don’t care what people think, do what you like. :)</p>
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