Here Ends The Twelfth Lesson
Happy holidays, lovelies! Guess what? I am officially a matriculant!
My schooling career, which spanned from 19/01/2005 to 28/11/2016, has officially come to an end. In celebration, I am parting with you 12 years worth of lessons in 12 concise points. These are some of the most valuable lessons school has taught me which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I hope that these will help you as you journey through school, and everything that may follow.
My schooling career, which spanned from 19/01/2005 to 28/11/2016, has officially come to an end. In celebration, I am parting with you 12 years worth of lessons in 12 concise points. These are some of the most valuable lessons school has taught me which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I hope that these will help you as you journey through school, and everything that may follow.
1. Trust yourself.
Know who you are: Your goals, your limits, your values, and your morals, and stand up for what you believe in. If something feels wrong, then go with that instinct. Learn to say NO with conviction. And learn that it is okay to say NO and STOP if you are being threatened or endangered.
2. Don't count your friends; make your friendships count.
Not everyone will like you, and that's okay. That is a bitter pill to swallow, especially if you are like me and want the whole world on your side, but this is actually the best part of high school: You don't have to be friends with everyone! What a relief, right? Your friend group should consist of people who share values with you, while at the same time encourage you to reach outside of your comfort zone. They should inspire you to become the best you possible, and support you through everything. True friends can be difficult to find, so don't become disheartened if this takes time. You will find where you fit in.
3. Make mistakes.
You will leave things to the last minute. You will write down the wrong answer to a question, and then remember the right answer after the test. You will forget your gym bag at home, lock yourself out of your locker, and saunter over-confidently into the wrong classroom. Don't be too hard on yourself about these. You are human, and will inevitably slip up sometimes. The important thing to do is to accept these mistakes, and use them to learn, grow, move on, and let go.
4. Beware of the consequences of the choices you make.
Your life is your responsibility. Your choices reflect how you will grow, and how you respect yourself and those around you. All of your choices determine the path your life will take, and what kind of person you will become. Live wisely and responsibly.
5. Compare yourself only to the person you were yesterday.
I have to remind myself of this every day: Focus only on bettering yourself by setting small goals, and orienting yourself towards achieving those goals. Don't compare your goals with your friends or colleagues' goals. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and performs at different levels in different areas. Not everyone can be good at everything, so you can't expect this from yourself.
6. Stay ahead of your syllabus.
I promise you, this will help you immensely in Matric. Small things will ensure you will stay ahead, like reading five more pages of your setwork book, or summarising a chapter in your Biology textbook and filling in some vocabulary. Every little bit counts! Not only will you be ahead of your peers, you will also have an advantage in class tests and end of year exams, because you've studied the material on your own at leisure. By staying ahead, you can also ask your teacher for clarification and explanations on things you don't understand before anyone else has even picked them up.
7. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
I once read a quote that said, "Rather look stupid and ask than feel stupid when you don't." I was very shy starting school, so this is a lesson that was difficult for me to learn. If you are lost in the school quad, find someone to guide you. If you are staring at the equation-riddled board in Maths with no idea what's going on, ask for an after-school tutor session. If you feel anxious, sick, or lonely, talk to a school psychologist, a friend, or a nurse. Let someone know if something is wrong. Speak up if you are feeling scared, pressured, or vulnerable. Learn to protect yourself, and look after yourself.
8. Resist dangerous peer pressure.
I cannot emphasise this enough: If it feels wrong, don't do it. Trust your instincts. If your friends pressure you into doing something that contradicts your values, then they are not your real friends. If whatever you are being persuaded to do feels dangerous, wrong, morally incorrect, or clashes with what you stand for and believe in, resist the pressure to do it. Whatever you decide to make of a situation like that reveals a lot about you as a person. This ties in heavily to point number 4.
9. Channel positive vibes and laughter into your daily routine.
Maintaining a joyful aura and being a positive influence may be the only thing getting you, and your friends, through school. Whether it's dancing like lunatics down the school corridors, spinning in your office chairs, talking in silly voices, splitting junk food, or singing songs from old movies, laughter and joy will only do you a world of good. It will also help you make friends as people will be drawn to your infectious smile and bubbly nature.
10. Stay involved
It is critical to forge connections in both school and work. The people I've met through job shadowing and charity work have taught me so much about life, and given me opportunities to expand my horizons, and share my talents and opinions with a wider audience. These are the people who have built the stage upon which I could discover myself, and become who I am today. Through being involved in events and organisations beyond the confinements of school, I have become a more mature, confident, open-minded person. That has become important in my writing, as well as the way I view my journey through life.
11. Avoid drama and negativity
Gossip in all forms is negative. Period. Stay away from gossip, negative vibes, and dangerous people. If you find this difficult, think of it as poison that you are putting into your body. Making something like gossip and negativity into a tangible object might help you to object to or abstain from it in the future. This links to point number 9.
12. Accept failure as part of the process
I understand that failure can be immensely embarrassing, but here is the rub: It does not matter how many times you've fallen down. What truly matters is how many times you've picked yourself up, dusted yourself off, and tried again. Failure is essential in the process of learning. He who has never failed has a lot to learn. Without failure, we would never learn where we went wrong. Use failure to your advantage, and let it be another brick in the wall of your future empire.
I hope you and your families had a magical Christmas, and earned some well-deserved rest over the festive season. Please stay safe as the celebrations continue into the new year.
Let's hope that 2017 will be kind to us all. Let it be another year for learning, growth, and love. If we all approach the new year with loving hearts and open minds, anything is possible. I believe in the promises of 2017, and our ability to work together towards a better future.
2016, it's been a crazy ride, but it's time to disembark.
XO
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