High school is a time of tumultuous changes for everyone, from shifting friend groups to the college application process. It is completely normal to want to fit in with the crowd. After all, it can be scary to stand out. 

However, there is so much to discover when stepping outside of your comfort zone, whether it be new friends, knowledge or experiences. Resist peer pressure and fears of judgment to do what you want: audition for the musical, try out for a team or sign up for unique classes. Beyond in-school activities, take initiative outside of school to make a difference, such as how senior Arielle Chin established a nonprofit to benefit people in need in Ghana or how juniors Justin Rotaru and Preston Cote wrote and published a book this past summer or junior Alex Karasoulos’s passionate dedication to the natural world. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions to learn from others. You never know what you’ll find.

Balance is an important part of high school as well. You may feel pressure to take the hardest classes that you think will look best on a transcript, but remember to take time for yourself.

Starting from a young age, most students are encouraged to follow the same sequence of events: go through K-12, go to a “good” college for at least four years and get a job. For some, this is an easy and desirable timeline to follow, but for others, attending college right after high school is solely based on extrinsic factors like this highly encouraged life guide. It’s important to understand yourself and how you want to lead your life. Maybe college isn’t the right fit for you, and that should be your choice. 

For those who are anticipating going to college right after high school, don’t focus on how prestigious the school is. Find a school that best suits your academic abilities, has all of the extracurriculars you would be interested in, is a smart financial choice for you and your family and is in a location you want. In high school, the culture surrounding college is nerve-wracking. You start to feel defined by the schools you are applying to, and it’s easy to feel a need to match what others are doing. Just try to remember, what’s right for others may not be best for you.  

Your plan can also change. The path you created for yourself when you were sixteen years old can change as you grow up and learn more about yourself. There’s no need for us to have determined every step of our life path in high school. Remember to enjoy the journey and that it’s perfectly fine to find your way and change direction as you go.

Everyone is unique depending on our backgrounds, interests, personalities and so much more, so it should only be expected that we all have different paths that will lead us through life. Focus on what’s right for you.

This unsigned editorial reflects the views of the Harbinger Editorial Board.