Believe in your dreams and they may come true. Believe in yourself and they will surely come true.
-Martin Luther King
Dear future student
If I had known what starting high school would really feel like, I would have taken my fears more seriously from the beginning. I thought I was the only one feeling lost or afraid to fail, but I wasn’t. If I had talked about it earlier, I wouldn’t have felt so alone.
If I had written down my emotions regularly, I would have noticed the signs of anxiety and stress before they became too heavy. Keeping everything inside only made it worse. A simple diary or even short notes could have helped me understand what I was going through.
If I had realized how much procrastination was linked to my fear of not doing well, I would have changed the way I worked. I always thought I was just lazy, but in reality, I was scared of doing badly so I avoided doing anything. If I had faced that fear earlier, I would have saved myself a lot of unnecessary stress.
If I had asked for help instead of trying to do everything alone, I would have learned faster and felt more supported. Teachers, friends, and even family members can’t read your mind they can only help if you speak up.
If I had explored different careers earlier, I would have felt more motivated at school. When you have an idea of where you’re going, even the hard subjects start to make more sense.
And if I had trusted myself more even just a little I would have seen that self-doubt is normal, but it doesn’t define me. Everyone has doubts. The difference is how you respond to them.
So, dear future student:
If you ever feel scared, uncertain, or behind you’re not alone. Talk to someone, reflect on your feelings, and don’t wait to take action. If I had known all this earlier, I would have entered high school with more confidence and peace.