Maddie Kopecki

High school is one of the most overwhelming experiences of my entire life. When I began as a freshman in 2016, I'll admit that I didn't think it would be. I entered high school one thing, and now, two and a half years in, I'm a completely different person, new and improved, and sure of who I am. The funny thing is, from middle school, we're taught that junior year is the most important academic year on transcripts. We're taught that it's the most stressful part of high school and that people go crazy trying to achieve perfection. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly stoked to start this critical academic year. My first day came and went, and I thought everything was great. I didn't have too many assignments, my teachers (except for my math instructor) were fantastic, and life was generally fine. Then, just a few weeks later, my to-do lists started to look like this: For context, I'm enrolled in a fairly rigorous course load, but nothing extre

1. It's not your fault that other people decided to hurt you, don't make excuses for them. 2. Hurt people hurt people. 3. It's okay to push yourself out of your comfort zone. 4. It's also okay to stay in your comfort zone. 5. Friendships need to have equal give and take to be healthy. You are not The Giving Tree . End the toxic friendships. 6. Make new friends. It's okay to make new friends. 7. Do what you love, love what you do. 8. Be kind, especially to yourself. 9. You don't have to justify yourself to anyone. 10. Your past shouldn't scare someone away. If it does, they aren't worth your time. 11. Treat mental illness like a physical illness. It's not in your control, and you wouldn't be frustrated with yourself if you had a cold. Being sick is being sick, no matter how you look at it. 12. Not all country music is terrible. 13. (See above) The same goes for rap. 14. Friends can be found in unexpected places. 15. More people thin