Surviving the Teen Years
Maturing from a teen into a young adult is a period of intense
exploration of your individual beliefs and goals in life. For
many teens, it is a time of excitement yet turmoil; everything
is rapidly changing around you and you struggle to keep your
feet on the ground. Surviving your teen years is possible with
perseverance and a positive outlook on life.
High school is a critical period in which you are establishing
patterns now that will dictate how you will deal with life
planning. It is very important to the success of your future
goals to set up habits such as, effective time management and
organizational skills, that will keep you from losing sight of
your goals.
Even if you haven't identified any goals yet, cultivating great
habits early on will assist you when you finally have decided
upon your aspirations.
High school should be viewed as a training ground for real life.
Treat assignments and obligations as an actual job (even though
you won't be getting paid!) by meeting deadlines and keeping
your promises. You will find yourself experiencing great
satisfaction from completing tasks that are required and you
will also be viewed as dependable and responsible by adults in
your life - future employers love these qualities.
Keep in mind that everything you do while in high school affects
your future. If you fail to maintain satisfactory grades, you
probably won't be accepted into that top-notch training program
you were eyeing. Or, if you neglected to learn some of the
material from high school, you risk having to relearn that
information further down the line when you need it to maintain a
job.
Your actions have consequences; however, you can determine if
the consequences will have a negative or positive effect on the
quality of your life by being conscious of the decisions you
make. Find an adult that you admire and use that person as a
mentor for valuable advice and positive feedback.
No one is advocating a boring life that is void of fun and
games. You should certainly be enjoying the opportunities to
experience life with peers because these experiences can also
teach you important lessons about yourself and life. The most
critical thing to remember is that you must aim for a balance
between getting the most out of your education while making time
to have a little fun. Isn't your future worth it?