Looking back on high school

It’s crazy to say I just graduated high school yesterday. So let’s check-in with myself before I start off my streak of 50 grad parties…

It’s been exactly two years since Halfway There. Let’s see what I got done.

• Manage my time wisely so I can continue to do my job and get the bottom things done!
• Get my schedule all sorted out for the next couple of years and start looking toward the future (senior classes, then colleges + major)
• Dual enroll, hoping to grab an AS; if not, a certificate at the minimum.
• Sign up for AP classes that I find usable
• Study for standardized tests if possible (ACT/SAT, AP exams) — self-learning is definitely going to be a lot of work.
• Continue to accumulate new skills, work experience, and certifications
• Develop my extracurricular activities

So, pretty safe to say mission accomplished. But something inside of me still feels empty; I think that’s because we’re just a couple steps closer to the end goal.

Things I learned

• It’s great to set goals. Really specifically.

Even if they seem completely unachievable, beign able to envision my path to get their and what headspace I’d have to be there has really helped me know what my limits are, and how far I’d have to push myself to be there. It’s helped me prevent tragic burnout (probably my #1 issue when it comes to academia), and it’s like a mini bucket-list per se.

• Becoming flawed.

Probably my biggest change made, and worth an article if I wasn’t already so behind. For all my life I’ve chased perfection, straight As since letter grades were a thing. But for the first time, I’ve taken a B in something that could have been an A. The difference between a B and an A was not worth missing out on the many fun things I’ve done throughout senior season, and getting that first B allowed me to let go of a lot of the stresses of not being a perfectionist.

Just make sure not to overuse it that much as getting good grades still matters. But if you’re losing sleep over something that won’t dramatically change your life, it’s not worth it at all.

Things I would’ve changed

Notice how I didn’t say regret. I don’t regret a thing. It’s not like I could’ve changed it anyway, but here are some things I would’ve changed.

• Fully take advantage of all the APs during COVID year (skipped out on APHUG).
• Start dual enrollment during COVID year - I played WAY too many video games during that time.
• Realize that I was still in love with Computer Science and fully commit to self studying as much as I could.
• Take more AP exams during COVID year as they weren’t in person at all.

The future

Let’s set some goals I guess to see how many I end up hitting?

• Graduating in two years.
• Going for my masters.
• Finding a job/intern.
• Network.
• Learn.
• Live! (interpret that as you will.)

Okay, not as specific as last time, but it’s a lot harder to describe the specifics. It’s a lot more self-discovery on my part since it’s really the first time there’s no set structure. But I’m sure I’ll figure it out, that’s a problem for future me. These next