Before you enter high school, you are bombarded with loads of advice. So many “words of wisdom” are thrown at you that you don’t remember most of it. The one piece of advice that stuck with me, however, is a very important one. I wouldn’t re-do any part of my high school experience so far, solely due to the fact that I took the advice to try new things and be involved.

High school and teenage years are a point in your life where you’re really discovering who you are. For this reason, it’s extremely important to step out of your comfort zone so you may discover a hobby that you didn’t even know you would enjoy. Even if you don’t end up liking it, it’s the experience that matters.

I know this because when I was a freshman I was determined to stick to my promise of stepping out of my comfort zone, so I tried several clubs and ended up just sticking to my initial interest of singing and choir. Despite this, I’m still glad I tried all the new things that I did because it created a very eventful and fun first year of high school.

I’ve also found that it’s important to have a life outside of school. Because if not, what’s going to happen when high school ends and everyone goes their separate ways? A lot of students may find it stressful to balance school work on top of something else like a sport, extracurricular, or job, but it doesn’t have to be anything that requires serious time commitment.

Not only does reaching out and escaping what you’re used to in high school help you discover your interests, but it also teaches you social skills and time management that you’re going to need when you enter the adult world.