I was once told as a freshman, “High school will be over before you know it!” Little did I know how accurate that was. As my time as a St. Dominic student comes to an end and I reflect on my years as a Crusader, there are many things I wish I could tell my freshman self. That being said, here are a few things I wish I would’ve known before it was too late.

Don’t worry about what others think of you. Meeting so many new people in high school can be overwhelming. We all want to be liked by everyone, and in the process we sometimes lose sight of who we are. Trust me, the friends that are worth having will like you just the way you are. Stressing about how you appear to others only prevents you from growing and finding yourself. High school is about figuring out who you want to be, not who others want you to be.

Get involved. High school is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so get the most out of it. You like to go to sporting events to cheer on your favorite team? Join the cheer squad! Or maybe you like to be hands on with building and design–then Robotics Club is for you! St. Dominic offers such a great variety of clubs and extracurricular activities, so get out there and find what you are passionate about. I’ve met so many amazing friends by taking risks and joining clubs/activities I never saw myself doing as a freshman. My only regret was not joining them sooner.

Enjoy the little things. School, sports and work can bring about loads and loads of stress, but don’t let that take away from your high school experience. Grades and school come first, but don’t forget to spend time with your friends. Besides, you’ll look back and remember the times you spent with them, not the times you spent stressing about school. There are so many little things I took for granted during my four years of high school, like the relationships I have with my teachers or the times spent at a table full of my friends in the library. Go to the football game. Dance like no one is watching at homecoming. Buy that second cookie at lunch. There will soon be a day where you will wish you would’ve.

My final piece of advice is to take lots of pictures. Soon enough they will be the only things you have left of your high school years. They’ll be over before you know it.