For the past twelve years, I’ve known exactly what comes next. The school year ends, then the measly three months of summer, and the next school year begins. While I do still have summer to look forward to and I’ll be attending university in the fall, I have zero clue about what comes afterwards. I will be entering an entirely new realm and saying goodbye to the system I’ve known. Although the knowledge is intimidating, I am hoping to use what I’ve learned to guide me, and thus, here are the 12 lessons I’ve learned over 12 years in the Oshkosh Area School District. 

Kindergarten: Lying is never going to positively affect you in the long-run. In Kindergarten, we had a set time of the day for snack time. However, that wasn’t enough for me. I would ask my teacher for a pass to the bathroom, but really, I was paying a visit to my backpack and shoving whatever my mom packed for me that day into my mouth. Eventually, I was caught and given a write-up, A.K.A. a teacher’s pet’s worst fear. If I would’ve just asked, my teacher would’ve allowed me to grab a little something from my backpack. 

First Grade: Speak up if you have an issue with someone. I had a pretty bad experience with bullying in first grade, and I didn’t talk to anyone about it until I came home crying with bruises. My mom scheduled an appointment with my principal and the issue was resolved, but it took weeks of being chased around and essentially “beat up” during recess until I did anything. 

Second Grade: Learn to say “no”. My first-grade bully somehow convinced me to then be her friend in second grade, and I ended up losing all my other friends until she moved away the next summer. 

Third Grade: Hard work always pays off. The deal here involved learning our times tables for a dilly bar from Dairy Queen. For two weeks I spent every afternoon and morning, sometimes even a bathroom break, reciting my times tables. When the time came to take the test, I received a 100% and my coveted dilly bar. I’ve never been happier. 

Fourth Grade: Pixie cuts are not for everyone.

Fifth Grade: Don’t let others’ opinions affect your authenticity. In fifth grade, I had a pixie cut, glasses, and I wore a whole lot of Hot Topic. Automatically, I was bullied. However, I paid zero attention to my bullies and kept being true to myself 

Sixth Grade: If you’re thinking of wearing a flower crown, don’t. 

Seventh Grade: Being a band kid is actually really fun. I understand the stigma surrounding band kids, but playing saxophone in jazz band was one of my favorite things about middle school.

Eighth Grade: Don’t be friends with people for their social status. I got pretty accustomed to being what I call the “sometimes friend” in eighth grade. I was friends with a group of people that were the total opposite of me, but they were “popular”. My fifth-grade self would not have been proud. 

Ninth Grade: Self-motivation is important. Nobody is as sick of talking about COVID-19 as I am. However, being at home taught me a lot of time management skills and how to avoid procrastination. I set specific goals for myself when working on schoolwork, and dedicated specific portions of my day to different classes. It’s also important to remind yourself that what you do now will affect your future, even if it doesn’t feel like it. 

Tenth Grade: Being involved is important! As soon as we began attending school regularly again, I joined various clubs. I was in the North Star, Student Council, Ski Club, Key Club, and I was accepted into the Polaris National Honors Society. I was a part of the volleyball team as well. Although I don’t recommend overloading yourself, I made so many long-lasting connections and memories because I decided to be involved in my school. 

Eleventh Grade: Yes, Junior year sucks. However, the ACT is not the end of the world, or the deciding factor of your future (I still recommend studying). 

Twelfth Grade: Soak in every single experience you can. I’m not sure yet if I’ll ever end up describing high school as the “best four years of my life”, but it surely is something I’m never going to get back. Experience high school while you can– attend sporting events, get involved in clubs, and act like a high schooler just because you can. 

Thank you to my teachers, parents, friends, and classmates for the past twelve years. I’m excited to continue learning.