Over the course of my school year so far, I have learned a lot. I learned a lot about politics, history, art, English and math, but the most important lessons I’ve learned has not come from any textbook. The most important lessons I’ve learned has come from the teachers, staff, my friends, and even things that I have had to figure out for myself:

I had to teach myself was how to prioritize. I realized within the first week of high school that I had to learn this skill because without it, I would never finish my assignments, homework or projects. Not to mention all of my extracurricular activities. I discovered that the best way to prioritize, is to write down your homework, activities, due dates and appointments all in one place. Remember that it is important to keep a balance of school, life and relationships, so make sure to include all of these things in your notebook or calendar. After school, I suggest making a list in order of the things that you have to do from most to least important. That way, you do the most important things first, and then have time for the rest of your activities, later.

I learned from my guidance counsellors and teachers about all of the options there are for post-secondary. I learned not to tie yourself down to one subject or career path because there’s always a chance that you find something you love even more. Keep your options open and try new things because you might discover another career path you want instead. My school had many presentations available to the students where professionals came into our school to talk about their post secondary education and career. Always take these opportunities and listen to them speak about what their interests and career pathways are.

Perhaps the most important lesson I learned this year was to join activities. Education is extremely important, but in order to lead a healthy lifestyle, you will want to have a life outside of school as well. If you ask anybody who has been to high school, they will almost always say that the most important thing they wish they did was to get more involved. Join clubs, teams, make new friends, and participate in the events that your school hosts. This is a great way to have more fun, have a balanced life, and it looks great on postsecondary applications. You will learn a lot about yourself by participating in these events. You will learn about interests you never knew you had, and it will also help you to decide what career you want to go into. There are many different options for clubs, teams, and sports that are involved with career pathways such as art, English, sports, physical education, and more. Get involved with your school, and there will be many positive outcomes.

Overall, the most important lessons that I learned in school this year was to: prioritize my life in order to create a healthy balance, keep my options open about post secondary and my future career path, and to become involved in my school. By doing these things, I was able to have the most educated and fun high school experience possible.

Sources:

https://fedena.com/blog/2016/05/10-life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-teachers.html

https://asiasociety.org/education/seven-skills-students-need-their-future

https://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-magazine/your-words/most-important-thing-learned-school