Drinking was the best experience of my high school life. The feeling of being wasted and not remembering a single thing—that’s just divine. HA. Right… I am a rising senior, and I still have yet to be in such position. I mean it would be great to just forget about the stress of high school life and just be oblivious. It’s all about having fun; carpe diem! I think it is the “it” experiment in high school life. So why haven’t I still tried? I don’t plan on doing them anytime soon. So will I regret not succumbing to the “it” experiments? No. I won’t. From my keen observations, the pleasure from these activities is too temporary, too forgetful, too conventional. Now, i am not discouraging you in anyway from doing drugs or alcohol, but it's just that I have found plenty of other things to experiment with like jobs, instruments, clubs, and people.
In my first high school year, I joined couple of service clubs and sports team while my other classmates were trying to fit in and to impress all the upperclassmen—quite a normal thing to do. I remember trying to impress some of the varsity girls in cross country, but I have now learned that you should only work to impress yourself. When I look at the freshmen now and their seemingly impressive acts, I usually just see them like a newspaper; read it for one day and forget about it. I like to see people who devote time to themselves, and I feel honored when I get to spend time with them. People will go in and out of your lives, but you are always going to be in your life. So who’s more important, yourself or the cool upperclassmen that will eventually graduate and move on with his life? Please yourself first; others will follow.
For the three years I was in high school, I acted upon Nike’s "Just Do It" logo. I ran for vice presidency for Beta Club my sophomore year knowing that a rising senior would get it. I copied my friend’s homework knowing that I was blissfully watching TV the night before. I rapped on the school broadcast knowing that I would make a complete fool out of myself. I snuck out of the house knowing that my parents would be furious. I pull an all-nighter studying for AP Physics, knowing that I should’ve studied the nights before. I talked on the phone for hours with a boy knowing that I would be dozing off in class the next day. I did some foolish, some wise things.
I still wonder, what was I thinking rapping in front of the entire school? What was I thinking running for vice presidency? It might have been my Nike motive or it might have been that impulsive teenage hormone. Who knows? However, I never see myself saying, I should have never done that.. that was stupid. I can visualize how foolish I might have looked and these illustrations just act as pure comedy to tell in the future, which will bring endless laughter. In addition to that, good results came out from my inane performances. I am now the president of Beta Club and my classmates joke about the “rapping” courage I had.
It would be foolish for anyone to say, “oh I don’t have any regrets.” Yea.. that’s definitely a lie. We have heard ourselves say, man I wish I didn’t do that at least once. I also have had my share of regrets. The boy that I stayed up talking to is out of my life. My biology teacher called my dad for copying the friend’s homework. Yes, the consequences were dreadful but I don’t think regretting these things were bad. What is more important is the process afterwards. Will you keep on thinking about what you wish you had or hadn’t done? Or just move on? I remember getting a 50 on my AP World History test, and regretting the fact that I didn’t bother to read the book. Embarrassed of the failing grade, I actually read the book and got a 100 on the next quiz. So if you’re moping about your bad grades, stop whining and start studying!
A week ago, my mom would compare my room to a pig sty. It was so messy; clothes and books were laying everywhere. The carpet was nowhere to be seen. However, that same week, I took the initiative to clean it. I hadn’t cleaned it for three years so it was no surprise that it took me seven hours. I always felt that cleaning was such a futile activity, but seeing the vacuumed carpet and the books on the bookshelf whenever I come into the room feels good. I thought I would grumble at the idea at having wasted 7 hours cleaning, but I still have yet to complain about those “wasted” hours. So go ahead. You should do the same thing. “Clean out” your “I wish I had..”out of your minds and act! Besides, aren’t we supposed to be excellent do-ers as teenagers? As my friend once said, “fortune follows the bold.”
Below is a list of regrets/non-regrets that I received after asking about 20 juniors and seniors. Some of them just might be same with your regrets, and think, is that something you want after you graduate?
REGRETS
• Not having have studied more [SAT, GPA]
• Falling for a close friend
• Being sexually active
• Not applying for scholarships
• Not applying to more colleges early
• Not joining chorus
• Not joining swim team and red cross
• Getting in trouble with parents
• Not confronting a crush
• Walking around not knowing where to fit in.
• Dating a girl (he’s broken up with her now)
• Refusing a girl’s request to go to Homecoming
NON-REGRETS
• Making friends
• Going to a football game knowing that loss was inevitable
• Meeting people who took part in shaping beliefs
• Skipping school to go to six flags
• Not quitting robotics club even when feeling left-out
• Growing the confidence to be more strong towards own opinion and more indifferent about other’s opinion
• Going on school trips
• Being in a track/XC team
• Having a boyfriend
• Having fun with classmates in boring classes
