• You do not need to impress anyone.

High school is a hard time for self-esteem, especially for girls. It is important to remember that you are beautiful regardless of what others say. Do not work so hard to “dress to impress” the cute football player or the popular girls. Do things for yourself; at the end of the day your opinion of yourself is all that matters.

• Try new things.

Do not be afraid to step outside of your boundaries. You may find the most comfort in the things that were once the most uncomfortable. You do not want to be that person that missed out on bonding with your classmates or acting in the school play because it was outside your comfort zone.

• Cherish every moment.

After high school is over you will never again get Friday night football games with your best friends or pulling all-nighters on Saturday nights to talk about life. Cherish the moments you get with your people because someday they will only be memories.

• It gets better.

In high school, so many days feel like the end of the world. But I promise it’s not always this hard. Each night has a new morning, where everything can begin again and you can start fresh. Do not get hung up on things being hard, push through the tough times and remember your situation is not permanent.

• Stay close with your family

Your family can sometimes be your worst enemy, but they will always be your best friends. They are the ones who are there for you when no one else is, they take care of you when life gets tough and they support you unconditionally. Someday they won’t be around anymore, so cherish them while they are still here.

• The person who is supposed to be your best friend will bail on you, and that is OK.

People will be your best friend for years and will one day decide they don’t want to be anymore. You have to realize this is not your fault, people change. Sometimes it’s just best to move on and find new friends rather than being hung up on the old ones.

• Become close with your teachers, they are there to help you.

Teachers can sometimes be your worst enemy because they are constantly nagging you for work and pushing you farther than you think you can go. But they are the people who get the best out of you, and you should always be thankful for them.

• Time goes by fast.

One day you are walking into high school on your first day of freshman year and the next day you are walking out on your last day of senior year. It will always feel like the days drag on and you may sometimes feel like you’ll never make it to graduation. But you will, sooner than you think. The days are long, but the years are short.

• It is OK to cry when life gets tough.

In high school it is easy to feel like you cannot show emotions. But you can; you are allowed to feel. You are allowed to cry when you are up until midnight writing an essay or when your boyfriend breaks up with you. You are allowed to cry when you have no idea where to apply for college or what to major in. Life is tough, but you are tougher.

• Life is about more than the boy you date and the clothes you wear.

So much emphasis is placed on having Uggs and dating the hottest guy in school. If people only like you because you dress in the most expensive clothes or because you date the quarterback they don’t deserve your time or your attention. Let your life be about something other than being the coolest person in school.

• Care less about who others want you to be and more about who you want you to be.

Who you see yourself as is far more important than what others think. At the end of the day you have to live with yourself, so make sure you are someone you like. It is so much better to like yourself than for others to like you. After all, you are most important.