Wow, 8 years later I finally feel as though I have the strength and understanding that we did not have going into grade 9. I hope that this letter finds you well and that you are not stressing too much about the new beginning that is in front of you. I am writing this in hopes that I can offer you some advice. Although I am not a teacher yet, as I enter the final years of my degree in Education, I want to share with you want I have learnt in my time in the faculty of education that I wish I would have known before going into high school.
First, I want to say to give yourself grace. If I have learned anything in my 4 years at university, it is that all the worrying in the world will not get your assignments done faster or fix the problems that are in front of you. It is ok to take a breath and release the stress and keep moving forward without the weight of letting someone down. You are a hard worker and that is what you can offer to your high school years. Work hard and then do not worry about the rest.
I also want to encourage you to get to know more of your teachers on a personal level. They are truly some of the coolest people ever and I wish that we would have taken advantage of the good relationship we could have with them sooner. To be honest the hardest classes aren’t really that hard, it’s just because you don’t like the teacher. Classes become so easy if you build a relationship with and have respect for your teacher. So, aim to do this.
I want to also encourage you to do more things outside of your comfort zone. There is a whole other person that can be created when you try other things and fall in love with them. Broden your horizons and don’t let the opinions of others stop you from trying something that you find interesting. High school is about so much more than your grade and the credit classes, it is about building friendships, learning perseverance, and finding out what you genuinely love. So, try new things and fail at them because you will only become a better person because of that failure.
Finally, I want to encourage you to see the goodness in the opportunity of an education. So many people in high school say that it is the worst thing and that it is so useless. Well, it is useless if you choose not to learn anything. It is a choice to learn and a choice to close your mind to the potential of learning. So, choose to be open to the knowledge that is being offered to you, and take every opportunity.