Whether  you’re a freshman starting your new journey of high school, or a junior just trying to get out of school as quickly as possible, you may not think of how important these years can be. It can be very important for some, while it can be useless for others. No matter what you think of it, high school is important and there are many reasons why it is, even some you’ve never thought of before, until now.

Why is high school so important?

The beginning of high school is the beginning of your last four years before your life actually starts, so it’s important to make the best out of it. Make some new friends, gather up the courage to talk to people and get to know them. There are a lot of people at Lafayette if you haven’t noticed, so you’ll find some new people.

Make the best out of these four years by taking it all in. Be aware of your surroundings instead of looking at your phone when you have the chance. Lafayette is old, so you’re standing on history. When you’re older you may tell your children or friends about how you went to a really old high school and about the memories you made there. That all starts when you take all your surroundings in, right here, right now.

High School is also crucial because it is your last four years before your life starts. If you are planning to go to a college, then you should be working instead of slacking. If you are also planning to go to a more advanced university which, for instance, requires a high ACT score and GPA average to have a chance to be accepted, you’ll probably want to take advanced or AP classes (for more information about AP classes, check out “AP: Yea or Nay?” in the Opinion section). If you’re not choosing to go to any college or further education after High School, these four years are still important. There is way more than Mathematics, Science, English, and History; extracurricular activities and other things are here too.

High school can give you new interests if you aren’t really interested in going to a college. There are things like clubs, arts, community service, etc… If you do join a club in high school, you might get a new interest. There are many clubs here at Lafayette, and you will probably gain inspiration if you join one. Gaining new interests can give you some other things to do in life instead of just work. Your interests can cultivate creativity which you can turn into a job, so you can make money off your interests.

Why isn’t middle school as important as high school?

When you first started middle school, the last thought on your mind probably was what college you want to go to. You were probably more worried of getting lost in the school and getting trampled by eighth graders, which never happened. In middle school, you’re not supposed to think about high school yet for sixth and seventh grade, you’re only supposed to learn about different classes, class changes, responsibility, and organization.

When you start high school, you should be mature enough to know how to take care of all of the things you have learned in middle school. Now, it’s time to choose your classes. High school is the only level where you can choose your classes. They let you choose because they want to know what route you are going. Either you’re wanting to go to college, or something else; they’re wanting you to focus and think about your future.

How will high school be important in your far future?

Even after your college years are over with, you can influence people like your friends, or even possibly children, about how important high school can be. The people you talk to can be influenced by your stories, which could give them an idea about what to do in high school and how to be focused if they are planning to go college. High school doesn’t just fade away, it can be talked about for years for many things. Based on how you decide to do things in high school, it can affect your job and whole life. That’s why high school is so important on so many levels.