It’s getting hard to be someone
But it all works out.
Strawberry Fields Forever, The Beatles, 1967
It doesn’t matter much to me
It’s getting hard to be someone But it all works out.
It doesn’t matter much to me
— Strawberry Fields Forever, The Beatles, 1967
Dear year six graduate,
Entering high school can be a daunting experience. You might feel as if everything you have ever known to be true has suddenly been disproven, as if your whole life so far was just fiction.
It’s easy to feel this way, and I know I did when I started my high school journey.
Depending on who you are, primary school could’ve been many things. Scary, lonely, exciting.
Perhaps you’re nervous because you fear that high school will be a repetition of primary school. Maybe you fear that it won’t be.
Because I don’t know you, I can’t tell you whether your high school experience will be happy or not. But I can tell you that it probably won’t be a repeat of primary school.
You’ll learn a lot — that’s for sure! But most of your learning will happen outside of the classroom. High school will teach you a lot about yourself.
My own high school experience was a very privileged one. I am grateful for all the joy I experienced over the past six years. Now that I’ve graduated, it all feels like it happened at the speed of light.
Advice-giving is an art that I am very terrible at, and when I started writing to you, I didn’t think I’d give you any. I’m going to try my best not to. Rules are boring, and “advice” is just a friendly way of saying “rules”.
Instead, I’ll give you a map of decisions. Yes, a map. You get to choose where you want to go; the map just shows you how you can get there.
Make the Most of It
Whichever roads you take, the first step to making sure that the journey serves you is to really get into it.
High school will feel like a much bigger deal than primary school — this can be really scary.
But in a way, it’s also really cool.
Do you like music? There’s a good chance that your school will have opportunities for you to work at learning an instrument, and to experience the pure joy of performing before an audience.
If sports are your thing, you might want to sign up for your school’s footy or cricket club.
If you love to read, be sure to regularly frequent your school library.
High schools have clubs, competitions, bands, and opportunities to excel academically. If you love doing something, you’ll be able to improve rapidly if you take advantage of your school’s offerings.
Soak in the wonders of education and immerse yourself in your high school community — it’s like a dress rehearsal for real life.
Choices, Choices, Choices…
There’s a good chance that you’re used to having choices made for you. When you enter high school, you’ll have to make some choices for yourself.
This is scary, but it’s also fun.
Once you’re in year eight, you’ll even get to choose some of your subjects!
I’m not here to tell you that some choices are better than others. After all, I promised that I’d give you a roadmap, but not the destination.
Before making any decision, it might be worth asking yourself:
Will I be proud of this decision in a few months from now?
Will this decision cause me pain or joy?
Why do I want to do what I’m about to do? Will it make my life easier? How so?
What’s the worst that could happen?
What’s the best that could happen?
Is this decision something that helps myself or someone else?
Could this decision harm myself or someone else?
Have my parents approved of this?
With bigger decisions, give yourself at least a week before settling on something.
I know that decision-making is scary, but as long as you keep your parents, teachers, and other trusted adults involved in the process, you’ll probably stay out of trouble.
And importantly: if you or anyone else could get hurt, don’t do it.
Dignity > Everything
High school can be rewarding, but it can also be quite challenging.
You’ll hear words like “resilience”, “grit”, “courage”, “persistence”, “hard work”, “effort”, and “determination”.
Whenever I hear one of those words, I replace it with the word “dignity” in my head.
Well-meaning people, including those who are more knowledgeable than you, will say that with a bit of hard work, you can achieve anything you want to.
They’ll say that with effort and resilience, you can tackle any challenge, but it will be difficult.
I say something very different.
With a bit of dignity, you can achieve anything you want to.
Thanks to human dignity, you can tackle any challenge, easily.
Every human has dignity. You don’t need to develop it; you were born with this gift. It’s all you’ll ever need.
Closing Thoughts
I miss high school very much. It won’t be long before you do too.
I hope that this roadmap can help you through your journey, no matter which direction you choose to go in.
I started this piece with a quote from the Beatles, signifying that no matter whether you succeed or not, it’ll all work out. And, due to your human dignity, it doesn’t matter much — you’re awesome either way!
I’d also like to end with a quote:
Out there things can happen, and frequently do,
Oh! The Places You’ll Go, Dr. Seuss, 1990
To people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry, don’t stew.
Just go right along, you’ll start happening too!
All the best,
Amit Kunnath
A person who graduated high school last month
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