High school is a cruel place to grow.

I don’t know about you, but most of us have felt rejected, used, dumped, and betrayed. Some of us have become an outcast. Some of us have encountered bullying and being called names.

If your heart is not strong enough, and your foundation is sand, high school is a tough place to go through.

I’m one of those people who love my university years more than my high school. I know some people who used to reminisce the good old days, but really, what is it about high school that can possibly be better? Don’t get me wrong, high school was fun too. I’ve made friends, done some crazy stuffs, and laughed until my stomach hurt. But I know I’ve also cried until I fell asleep, cursed people, and been stabbed by a knife.

Here are the things I wish I knew once upon a time, back then, back when.

  1. One day someone you trust would betray you and you would consider this whole betrayal thing like the sky is going to fall.
  2. He might like you, or he might not, but he would certainly flirt with you, until you fall too hard and too deep.
  3. When the guys call you names, it’s as if all hell breaks loose.
  4. Hyperbole, exaggeration, and made-up stories don’t just exist, they manifest.
  5. There are drama kings and queens. There are a lot more of them than you expect.
  6. If you are not pretty, smart, a music expert, or a sports whiz, very few people will know you exist.
  7. Peer pressure is a real thing.
  8. Breaking rules are cool stuffs. We would try hard to be cool.
  9. People would compare your party with theirs, your pretty face with hers, your possessions with his, your success with theirs.
  10. Your relationship fiasco would feed the whole school hot gossip for a week.
  11. Guys would make you feel like a queen, then treat you like invisible man.
  12. If someone doesn’t like you, she would hate you.
  13. Finding your own identity and feeling belong are the two most important but neglected things.
  14. You can’t please all people, but you would learn it the hard way. And you would find ways to please them anyways.
  15. Some teachers would play favourites.
  16. You may never realise this but life exists outside school.
  17. Your hobbies are either watching TV, listening to music, reading books, or sleeping. Get a new one.
  18. People will make fun of your embarrassing mistakes.
  19. The more you defend yourself, the more they would taunt you.
  20. None of these stuffs matter. Live your life, ignore those people, and enjoy the ride.

Have you survived high school? Congratulations! Now, it’s time to become a man.