10 Things Every High School Graduate Should Hear

A message to all graduating seniors:

Grab that diploma, throw that cap in the air and prepare for a bumpy ride.

High schools across the state are celebrating the accomplishments of their students as they prepare to graduate. Students, decked in the ever-fashionable black robes, will finally leave the K-12 school system and embark on the next steps in their journeys.

Proud. Excited. Relieved. Petrified. Just some of the many words buzzing through the heads of these soon-to-be graduates.

Allow me to add some words of wisdom to the mix with some advice every high school graduate should hear:

1. Don’t celebrate just yet

Congratulations. You graduated high school. It is, most likely, no easy feat but things are going to get much more difficult for you.

Were you at the top of the class or an all-star athlete in high school? Prepare to face the fact that these titles lose their significance in the post-graduation world. What matters now is the work you put into your life, not what you accomplished in high school. Never be satisfied with your achievements, be prepared to become an over-achiever.

2. Be ready to become the person you always wanted to be

It is true when they say that it doesn’t matter who you were in high school. I have seen the popular kids at my high school dive into the dirt, shy kids come out of their shells and nerds become handsome news editors.

College, or the beginning of a career, is a time for transformation. Humans have a hard time breaking out of the personas they choose for themselves, but you are at the perfect age to become whatever you choose. Didn’t like being an under-achiever? Flip that around and become one of the kids you used to always sneer at during award ceremonies. Hated the crowd you hung out with? Find out what you like in people and go find them. Nobody can tell you who to become, that is a choice you make yourself.

3. Make as many friends as possible

We all get comfortable within our little tribe of friends. You will be saying goodbye to many good ones, but plenty more are waiting for you out there. Meet as many of them as possible.

The most successful people I know are good at making friends. Join different groups, forge connections and experience people you're unfamiliar with. These people will bring you joy (and may even help you get a job one day.) Not only that, but learning more about others will help you learn more about yourself. Become an extrovert and embrace the complex diversity of the people around you.

4. Never forget your high school friends

You will surely follow my amazing advice and seek out plenty of new friends, but never forget about the ones that have been closest to your heart. These friends have stood by during the childhood years, and they will probably be there during the adult ones.

I still have many of my old friends from high school, as well as many new ones from college and post grad. You will change, your friends will change, but there is always a bond there that never wavers. The best of friends will accept the “new you” and walk alongside any path you take. You will be very busy in the classroom or career, but drop them a line once in awhile. You will be glad you did.

5. Be open to new experiences, but also have goals

Just because you are going to school to become a doctor doesn’t mean you have to be using the stethoscope in 8 years. Your transition into adulthood will be filled with many diversions from the course as fate puts all the pieces together.

Be ready for change, but also have a set amount of goals you want to accomplish. The most rewarding paths are ones with a prize at the end, even if that road splits or becomes a mountain. Know what you want and have some idea of how you will get there. You may take a different course, but never stop moving forward.

6. The world will be a different place soon. Prepare for it.

Don’t think the job market of today will be the one of tomorrow. Everything is going to change by the time you get out of college, or look for another job. New skills will be needed as society and technology continue to morph themselves.

Brace yourself for the future. Think on your feet when changes come and learn to adapt in any situation. Your career path may become obsolete, or some gadget will transform your field forever. Those with their eyes on Yesterday will get smacked in the face by Tomorrow.

7. Alcohol will play a part in your life. Don’t let it become your life.

Sorry to all of your parents. This one cannot be avoided.

Alcohol is a major player in our society and a powerful force to deal with at any age. If you are going to college, expect alcohol will try to jam its way into your life. You will have different experiences based on your decision to drink, or not drink. It may change your health, what you do and the people you hang out with.

Looking to drink? I can't stop you. Want to play it sober? Great. Whatever choice you make - don’t let it dominate who you are.

8. Don’t allow yourself to be stupid.

This message certainly applies to drinking, but can be used in all aspects of your future. Never let others convince you that under-achievement and slacking off are “cool” traits. There is nothing cool about being an idiot.

Let yourself feel good about learning every day. Don’t be lazy and write off a failure or use it as an excuse to slow down. Dumb people are constantly seeking the easy way out, but the smart ones have quite the different idea. Embrace your talents and the hurdles that you may not be able to overcome right away. If some laugh at your hard work and success, then let them laugh their lives away.

9. Start job searching now

Seriously.

Don’t wait until the end of your senior year to hop onto the job search train. I tried that and it made life MUCH harder for the first year of post grad life. If I could go back in time, my resume would have been in the hands of potential employers by junior year.

Make connections. I cannot stress this enough to youngsters in any field of work. You need to build your skills in order to do a job, but a strong connection will make you 80 percent more likely to get it. Get to know the people in your chosen career that interest you and can look up to. Talent rewards talent. I would help out any of my peers from college who proved that they not only knew what to do, but were trustworthy enough to do it right. You will make many more friends this way, and one can never have too many friends.

10. The world is waiting.

Go and get it.