The same group of friends, same activities, same teachers, same everything. This comfortable world of high school is what you know; you’re used to it. It’s what makes sense. This is our comfort zone. It’s our bubble of safety we can rely on during the challenging years of high school. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap that our bubble of high school is all there is in the world. But as scary as it may seem, there’s a whole other world outside of high school, and it’s just waiting for you to discover it.

Branching outside of the “high school bubble” not only allows you to expand your       interests, try new things and meet new people, it also helps better prepare you for when graduation day hits and you leap into the “outside world”.

So, what is the “high school bubble anyway?”

When your high school lifestyle tends to be the only lifestyle you really know, or you can’t remember the last time you tried anything different, chances are you may be in the high school bubble. A lot of times we can put ourselves in a bubble without even realizing it, or realize just how much it limits our personal growth. It can be hard (and a bit scary) to do, but once you pop that high school bubble, you’ll be glad you did.

Why does it matter?

Sometimes, newly graduated students can find the world outside of high school to be very intimidating and really quite foreign. We get so used to the stability our high school routine provides that when that routine comes to an abrupt halt, it can sometimes be hard to adapt and we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed. By introducing ourselves to new, outside elements before high school ends, we allow ourselves to be more prepared. It’s kind of like dipping your toes in the pool before jumping right in. On top of that, expanding past our comfort zone allows us to grow and build character, something that can never hurt.

How can I expand past the high school bubble?

Looking to expand your horizon is already a great first step! While there’s no exact recipe for how to break out of your high school comfort zone, here are a few tips and tricks that can be very helpful:

• Join a new sports team, dance group, cooking class, or any other out of school activity you’ve been feeling interested in, but just haven’t quite gotten to trying yet. Trying a new out of school activity is great for a number of reasons. Not only are you expanding your interests and learning a new skill (which looks awesome on a resume, I might add!), you’re also going to meet a whole new group of people who have similar interests as you.
• Try something completely out of the box. In high school, it’s especially easy to feel like you’re placed into a certain category. Maybe you’re known as an athlete, or a math wiz. But it’s important to realize, you are so much more than just one thing! You may have an entire portfolio of hidden talents and interests you aren’t even aware of yet; don’t let the high school bubble stop you from discovering them! Try one thing (or a few things) that are completely out of the ordinary for you. You may discover something new about yourself.
• If you don’t already have one, try searching for a part-time job. Not only will you learn countless new skills and build up your resume, you’ll gain real world experience that will help you once you set out towards your career path.
• Selflessly offering your time will not only help others, it will help you as well. Volunteering gives us the opportunity to see the world in a new light, and understand the impact we have, and the importance of helping those around us.

These are just a few tips to popping that high school bubble, but remember there are plenty of other great ideas you can try. The best part is, just by you reading this article you’re already well on your way.