By Samita Kalavagunta
People say that the four years of high school will fly by. I couldn’t disagree more. Freshman year seems like a million years ago. These were absolutely the longest years of my life. Through these four excruciatingly long years, I’ve learned so much, and there are many things I would do differently.
To start, I wouldn’t have gotten so attached to certain friendships. The attachment always led to disappointment when I wouldn’t get the treatment I wanted. Friendships stay evolving; therefore, one should evolve with them. It’s no use wishing for things to be the same, because the only constant in life is change. Holding onto the past brings more turmoil than just letting go.
Secondly, I should’ve cared less about what people thought. Starting senior year, I decided to finally do what I want regardless of the judgment of others, and I am so much happier. I’ve learned that people will talk no matter what, so holding oneself back just because of baseless words is a disservice to yourself. On that same note, changing yourself or your opinions to please people doesn’t really get the intended result. Being unapologetically yourself will earn you more respect than being agreeable.
Moreover, I wish I had participated more in class and in other activities. I definitely participated in many clubs/sports and talked in class, but I should’ve done just a little more. The people who participated the most always got the most opportunities. As they say, the early bird gets the worm.
Finally, I should’ve done more random things with my friends. In the past, every hangout we had was very deliberately planned. Everything was like a little event. However, this year we introduced a little more spontaneity in our lives, and I’ve found that the most random moments are so much more memorable and cherishable than the curated hangouts. Essentially, I wish that my friends and I went with the flow more.
That being said, there are plenty of moments from high school that I wouldn’t change for the world. I would not change the amount of stress and importance I put on my academics, because that hard work earned me a 4.0 GPA. I wouldn’t change some of the most amazing teachers I got each year, as they helped me so much with my grades and life. I wouldn’t change getting hired as a martial arts teacher, because I gained so many skills for life from teaching. I wouldn’t change all the friendships I developed in my senior year, because expanding my community allowed me to connect with people I never thought I would. I wouldn’t change going to every dance, football game, or rally, as those were some of the most fun nights of my life.
And despite this reflection depicting everything I would’ve done differently in high school, I have no regrets. Every mistake I made and every grievance I had taught me something and allowed me to grow. How could I ever regret growth? So, as I restart and become a freshman once more in college, I know one thing for sure—that I’ll grow and evolve into a better person, just like I did at Westmont.