Anyone who tells you “high school is the best four years of life” is a liar. High school is a wild roller coaster of ups and downs. It’s important not to spend too much time worrying about the bad but to savor the good that got us through high school.

Music
What’s an early morning car ride without your favorite playlist? What’s a late night study session without that one song that helps you focus really hard? Music is a much bigger part of our daily routine than we actually realize. It has the power to cheer us up when we’re feeling down and inspire us when we need that extra bit of motivation to get work done. If it weren’t for our favorite songs helping us get through the day, high school would have been a lot harder.

“Constantly having good music to listen to throughout high school has not only helped me focus on my schoolwork, but also take a break from all the stress. It’s always nice to be able to escape from the pressures of life, even if it’s just listening to a couple minutes of a song,” said senior Alex Slaid.

Good Friends
One of the best things about high school is the relationships you build with your classmates. It’s really important to not waste your time trying to get everyone to like you—you can’t please everyone. The people that actually like you for you are the people that will have your back when times get tough. Having a solid group of friends that encourage you is essential to having a good high school experience.

“It’s always nice to hang with friends and take a break school. My friends have also helped me out a lot with studying and homework,” said senior Paul Schneider.

Your Favorite Teacher
Teachers come and go year by year, but every once in a while you have a teacher that leaves a lasting impact on your life. Having a dedicated, passionate teacher can really enhance a class for a student and make a subject more interesting. Luckily for us, St. Dominic is full of amazing teachers that make the long school days worth it. Any student can recall a time where they didn’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning, but then remembered they had class with their favorite teacher and suddenly became excited to start the day.

“Mr. Margadonna made my senior year, not only through his class, but through his sense of humor and ability to tolerate all of us. Lunch period would have been nothing without him,” said senior Gabe Hollowell

Family

For something that’s so important, family can easily be taken for granted in high school. While you might not always see eye to eye, it’s important to stay close with your family throughout these four years. If there’s one group of people that will stick with you though the good times and the bad no matter what, it is your family. They offer moral support in tough times and are always there to celebrate your accomplishments.

Faith

We are all lucky enough to go to a school where we are allowed and encouraged to freely practice our faith. With all of the faith-based clubs and activities available here at St. Dominic, there are endless opportunities to strengthen your faith. Having a solid prayer life is essential to a happy high school experience. Taking a little time out of your busy schedule to pray will make all the difference. Ask anyone who does this, and they’ll tell you it’s worthwhile.

High school is full of struggles, but the good definitely makes it worth while. Good friends, music, family and faith are all everyday things that are easy to take for granted, but if you take time to appreciate these little things, it will make a huge difference in your high school experience.