I have always been told that life is a compilation of decisions that you make. The good, the bad, the stupid and the brilliant all get jumbled into not only who you are, but who you become. I am going to be honest— freshman year: the mere thought of this terrified me. You’re talking to the girl who spent the first half hour of third period in the wrong World History class. I couldn’t read room numbers, let alone make decisions important enough to decide who I would become. However, I got through high school like everyone else, one essay, test and all-nighter at a time. Whether you have three years of high school left or are about to embark upon college, here are some of the lessons I learned the hard way:

You’re not going to be the best at everything you do, and that’s okay. Sadly, we are not perfect. And no matter how hard we try in school or sports or extracurricular activities, there will always be someone better. What was difficult for me to realize in the beginning of high school is that this is not the end of the world. As long as you’re working hard and doing something you enjoy, you’re going to get fulfillment out of it. It’s a good goal to strive to be your best. But, your best may be different than someone else’s best. Comparing yourself to others instead of comparing who you are now to who you were can get old very quick. Competition is one of the reasons I worked as hard as I did in high school, but it can destroy you just as easily as it can help you, so know and understand your limits.

Balance your highs and lows. I know we have all seen the ying/yang baloney and some of you may be guilty of even making it a caption on an Instagram, but there is a lot of truth in it. Whether you’re on top of the world or just had the worst day of your entire life, perspective has helped me be humble on the good days and laugh off the bad ones. You become what you project onto others, so “stay gracious and remember the best revenge is your paper”— Beyoncé.

Find real friends. This is hard. I know being swept up in high school drama and expectations can make you feel like you need to be with a certain group and change who you are, but honestly, screw it. Be yourself and you will find a group that accepts you for you, I guarantee it (Men’s Wearhouse). The entire high school experience is much more meaningful when you have a group of people to share it with.

Reach out. But not, like, physically. Reach out to the quiet kid in your class and find out more about him. If you don’t know anyone in a room of people, introduce yourself to the friendliest-looking person. Reaching out and making connections with people who you can then wave to in the hallway or text on the weekends makes this school of 4,000 feel a whole lot smaller.

Stay involved, but not too involved. Ah, the struggles of high school. Something I was never quite able to nail down was the perfect balance of school and activities. Whether you take six APs, are a three-sport athlete or a combination of both, find things you’re passionate about and stick to them. I made the mistake of misjudging what I was capable of, and struggled through high school taking multiple AP classes along with competing in three sports as well as several extracurricular activities. I absolutely loved everything I was involved with, but I found myself never being able to give 100 percent to one certain activity. The stress that came along with consistently having too much on my plate was a lot to handle as well. However, here I am, all the wiser and ready to tackle college in a different way. Becoming too involved and neglecting your school work can also be when the problems come in. Finding that perfect balance will not only help with your stress levels, but also with creating a stellar college application as well.

Thank you, LT, for giving us endless amounts of opportunities. Thanks to our teachers who pushed us to be our best and never settled for anything less. My time at LT is something I wouldn’t trade for the world, and for all of you who have a couple more years left: they go by in a flash, so enjoy it.