Before I begin this article, I want to take this moment to talk about Hillsborough High School. HHS is by far one of the best, most amazing places that I’ve ever been able to go too. My time at HHS has been a real blessing. This school is absolutely one of a kind, and I couldn’t be more thankful for being able to call myself a Hillsborough Raider.

Now that that’s out of the way, I wanna say that High School is a time to find yourself. To discover who you really are as a person and where you want to go in your life. I can safely say that I am completely different than the little boy who stepped into the commons the first day of Freshman year.

Throughout my four years, I’ve learned countless things, both good and bad. This article is all about everything I’ve learned, and offering you six pieces advice on how to make High School the best time of your life.

1. Don’t be afraid to fail

Failure is something that plagued me a lot through my years here. I was extremely afraid to fail that I didn’t even end up trying. This was an illness that I didn’t get over till my Junior year, and the sooner you get over this fear, the better.

2. GET INVOLVED IN SPIRIT NIGHT

Spirit Night is a religion at HHS. It is by far the biggest, best night of the year, so get involved in whatever interests you. Whether it be the video, an event, mural, or the dance (highly recommend the dance. It’s a lot of work but a lot of fun), just do something to contribute to your grade.

3. Don’t stress

I know this one isn’t completely avoidable, but do your best to limit it. You’ll learn that some things just aren’t worth freaking out about and to let some them go. It’ll be hard at first, but you’ll be happier when you figure out how to let your stress go.

4. Attend sporting events

This one produced some of my best moments in my entire high school career. Being with your friends and cheering on the Raiders is one of the most fun things that this school offers (especially if the team is good). Even if you’re not a huge sports fan and don’t know what’s going on in the game, as long as you show up and cheer, you’ll be alright.

5. Find a core group of friends and stick with them

This is the most important one on the list. Having a solid group of friends surrounding you will get you through the bad times and make the good ones even better. By having a group of people that you can go to for anything, you’ll never feel like you’re alone ever again.

If you follow these five pieces of advice, I can assure that you will have a wonderful high school experience. While there are tons of other aspects to enjoying high school, this is a phenomenal start. So sit back, relax, and get ready for the best four years of your life.