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Table of Contents
Part 1 - Personally Awesome............................................................ 6
Part 2 - Socially Awesome............................................................... 42
Part 3-Rich Teen, Awesome Teen................................................. 106
Part 4 - Drugs and Alcohol, and Parties......................................... 114
Bonus Resources………………………………………………………………………131
Welcome!
Hey guys! I’m Alex Kingman and I wrote this book. It is basically all of the things I wish I had known going into high school, and throughout these four years of life. I don’t tell you what to do and what not to do, it is simply helpful advice that you can decide to use or not to use. I just graduated about two months ago, and I am now going off to college. I wanted to write this book before I got too old to remember what high school is like, and what I wish I had known. I tried my best to keep it short and to the point so that it will be the most helpful and the least time consuming. I hope that my book helps you to have a great high school experience as I think everyone should.
High school is an awesome time in your life if you make it that way! Some people love high school, some hate high school, and some feel indifferent about high school. Truth is, it’s what you make of it and it forms a lot of who you are. It is the last four years that you are legally required to go to school, and the first four years of learning to become independent and awesome!
Throughout this book is advice from a large number high school students and recent graduates. Some chose to use their name, others used their initials, and some asked to remain anonymous. They are from many different schools all over the United States, and the world! (some foreign exchange students contributed their stories and advice.). Most of these people are high school juniors, seniors, or recent grads. These students have been through it all and they have a lot of awesome stories, insight, and advice to share with you! Some of these people have contributed a lot of advice, and some less, yet they are all equally valuable and beneficial!
High school is a different experience for each person. It depends on a lot of factors, but you are the only one who can make sure that your experience is awesome! Here is what some students had to say:
“Honestly, I just tumbled through high school and just did me lol” –Britney (Senior)
“For me, high school was quite possibly the most terrible time of my life, but I'm here to make it your best. I'll tell you the things that might help you to make your high school years a contrast to mine, because I did have a few pretty good moments. Not everything bad is completely bad, there's always something good that comes out.” –Cassie Tran (Senior)
“For foreign people America is a hard thing to figure. When you arrive there for the first time you expect everything to be like how it is in the movies cause that’s the only thing you really know in America – everything is bigger and the Quarterback is the most famous guy in school. You expect the people to be very focused on what is important for their country. You expect them to love Paris. And also you expect that there is a hierarchy in High School. But that’s entirely wrong…well not all of it but mostly.
During my exchange year I learned so many things about America and its people that I don’t even like to watch High School movies any more. And that’s totally fine with me because I know how it is to live there even though it was just for nine months. My favourite thing about living in California was how cool everyone is and how people enjoy their lives. This is one of the reasons why I had such a great time. But the biggest reasons for this wonderful time were the people I hanged out and cared the most. These people made my year to a really amazing time. Of course there were some times when my best friend and I had some problems with each other cause of our girlfriends. That was a pretty hard time but fortunately it didn’t last for long.
One of the greatest days was when my friends and I went to the beach in Santa Cruz. Although we had some misunderstandings it would became a really amazing evening with a bonfire and some really weird popcorn.
Alright let’s get back to that girlfriend thing. I don’t even know what to say about it except of it was definitely one of my greatest relationships. Unfortunately it didn’t last for long cause we started dating in March and I had to leave the country in May. But all in all it was a really amazing time with her even though I wish we’d had more time.
School was, except of a couple of teachers, always a fun time for me cause my teachers were very personal in a good way. But at some points over the first semester and at the beginning of the second semester I wished I could be somewhere else. For example in the first months shortly after my first host brother left I was really lonely even though I was doing sports and hanging out with people. But there was never a moment where I would say: “Yea, I definitely would want to do that again!” That moment never really existed in the first couple of months cause I figured after some time that it takes a lot of more than just being open minded to live in another family and country than your own. This is just a very small part of my experience but I think this is the most important to tell.” –Jan Johannes (Junior foreign exchange student from Germany)
Welcome to this book. I’m glad you found your way here. If you are willing to read, then you will get a lot of value out of The Truth About High School. 110% guaranteed. I don’t say this to be arrogant. I can make such a statement because of all the amazing advice that was contributed to this book, as well as the success principles that can be implemented for a top quality life.
Enjoy!
"You do you" – Caroline Rutten (Junior)
I start this book with how to be personally and spiritually awesome because everything in life always starts with and comes back to you. Your inner world creates your outer world. For example, if you don’t like who you are and don’t believe in yourself, then you won’t be able to appreciate others as much and you won’t have much fun in life. You can only love others as much as you love yourself. The good news is that you are in charge of your life and your inner world, so you can always change! T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, says it best:
“Imagine a tree. Let’s suppose this tree represents the tree of life. On this tree there are fruits. In life, our fruits are called our results. So we look at the fruits (our results) and we don’t like them; there aren’t enough of them, they’re too small, or they don’t taste good.
So what do we tend to do? Most of us put even more focus and attention on the fruits, or results. But what is it that actually creates these particular fruits? It’s the seeds and the roots that create those fruits.
It’s what’s under the ground that creates what’s above the ground. It’s what’s invisible that creates what’s visible. So what does that mean? It means that if you want to change the fruits, you will first have to change the roots. If you want to change the visible, you must first change the invisible.”
It’s true. You are in charge of your life and you create your reality. Consciously and unconsciously your mind perceives life in a certain way, leading you to have paradigms, or certain outlooks, on life. I am sure you have heard of the quote saying, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”. It’s all about how you look at things. We live in at least four realms simultaneously all the time. These four realms are the spiritual world, the emotional world, the mental world, and the physical world. Most people don’t understand that the physical world is just a result of the other three realms. Through action, you connect your inner world to your outer world. Problems cannot be changed in the physical realm, they can only be changed in the mental, emotional, and spiritual realms (the roots). When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. The best way to enjoy your life in high school and beyond is to understand this concept. Once you do, you will understand why everything in your life has happened. It was a reflection of the inner you. If you want to change something in your life, you have to start with yourself and your beliefs. Being open minded is one of the most important things to remember for high school and for life. For example, Hanna went to high school with me and I always looked up to her because of her open-minded, all-inclusive attitude towards anyone and everyone. But she claims that she hasn’t always been this way. As you will see, she changed her ways of thinking and therefore, changed her whole outlook on life. Here is her story...