Her Unique Glow

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1) Grades aren’t everything

Yes, it’s important to work hard and get good grades – working hard at any age will always be beneficial but grades aren’t everything. Don’t get so worked up if you don’t get that A* that you are after or if you’re a few marks off. Celebrate your achievements and don’t be so harsh on yourself. We are told that grades are the end all and be all when we are at school, and I guess at that age they are. If you want to get into a top university then yes, you do need great grades. But if not, then don’t panic. I remember getting so upset that I got a B at GCSE, thinking how could I possibly have got such a low grade. I completely forgot all the other A’s and A*’s that I just didn’t celebrate them at all. All I was worried about was not being as good as everyone else and not getting into a good university.

Grades aren’t everything – but what is priceless is your work ethic. Work hard, put in the effort and celebrate your achievements.

2) Don’t worry if you don’t know what direction you want to go in

Just because Suzie Q knows what she wants to do when she’s older doesn’t mean that you have to have everything figured out too. In fact, most of us have no clue what we want to do when we are 40 let alone 14. So don’t panic. Just go with what feels right for you and don’t worry about anyone else. It’s totally fine to not know what you want to be when you’re ‘grown up’, so when you’re picking your subjects go with what you enjoy. Remember that teachers are there to help you – From what I remember at school, most people were scared to approach their teachers and ask for advice, but at the end of the day that’s what they’re there for so take advantage of that. Let them help you figure out what is right for you, or at least guide you in a direction that will benefit you in some way.

3) It’s ok to fit out

You don’t have to compromise who you are to fit in with the ‘popular’ kids. Don’t try to fit in and copy what everyone else is doing IF it doesn’t feel good for you. A lot of us try so hard to fit in that it serves absolutely no purpose for us at all, we’re just terrified about being left out, or worse – unpopular. Well, let me tell you, popularity is totally over rated. It is so tiring pretending to be someone you’re not that you’re left drained and exhausted at the end of the day. Not only that, but by following the crowd you ‘think’ you should be with, you’re not learning anything about yourself in the process. Just do what works for you and don’t compare yourself to the ‘cool’ kids or judge yourself for not being ‘good enough’. Just be you. Be unique and original because you’re beautiful no matter what.

The most important thing is to be kind, be sweet, be generous and be empathetic. Those are the people that go far in life – those who lead life with a kind heart. Just do you and be kind. Fitting IN doesn’t mean that suddenly you are ‘cool’. However, fitting OUT will always make you ‘cool’ no matter what – because no one can do ‘cool’ better than your authentic YOU!

4) University isn’t the only option for your future

So many of us are brought up under the assumption that university is a definite path when we finish school – I know that when I was growing up there was never an alternative option. It wasn’t even a yes or no question – ‘do you want to go to university?’ – it was just a given. The question was more like: ‘Which university are you going to?’

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my university education and I did learn a lot from it but I would have also liked the option to explore alternative routes once I’d left school. As much as I loved my degree studying art and design, I never pursued a career in that industry. Instead, I studied health and fitness alongside my degree and then found myself in that industry once I’d left full time education.

If university isn’t for you then there’s always the option of college, work placements and even work place learning – there are so many opportunities now – the only thing to remember is that a strong work ethic is so important. Make sure the path you decide to go down works for you and builds your future up in a way that serves you.

5) Learn who you are and embrace it

With all the pressures that high school life throws at you, it’s even more important to make use of the free time that you do get. Use your time wisely and be productive working on you and your future. Learn who you are, find out what you like and what you don’t like. Explore your talents and your curiosities – if you love dance then take dance lessons, if you love languages then learn Arabic or Chinese. Don’t be embarrassed to explore extra-curricular activities, you never know which one will gel with you and help you to grow, or even open new doors for you - so don’t confine yourself. Growing up is the perfect time to figure out who you are and what you’re passionate about but most importantly it’s the perfect time to just have FUN! Have fun learning about yourself and enjoy expanding your heart and your mind – you never know what you’re going to discover.

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High school is a challenging time and I’m hoping that these 5 tips will help you through if that’s where you are in life at the moment. However, like I said before, no matter what age you are you can still take something away from these lessons.

Lessons:

• Grades don’t mean anything – what matters most is your determination to ‘succeed’ and your heart.
• Don’t worry if you don’t know what direction your life is heading in. We all face those moments of confusion and by working through them, you end up being stronger than before. You can discover your passion at any age.
• Fitting out is always in style.
• Don’t confine yourself to what you ‘think’ your future SHOULD be. Instead, think about what you want your future to look like and then create it.
• Growth is such an important part of life – learning who you are will always be a continuous life education…and isn’t that an exciting way to live? Knowing that there is always more to learn and new things to discover?

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