Dear Student,

If you are reading this letter you probably have found yourself worried that your experiences in high school don’t match up to your peers. I am here to tell you, that having different experiences than others is 100% okay. 

High school looks different to everyone. We are all wired to experience and desire experiences differently. Sometimes everyone being the exact same isn’t beneficial to character development. Having the same exact experiences as the person sitting next to you in math class cancels out the whole idea of being unique. Difference is key in many friendships, if you and your best friend were the exact same person, would you want to be around them all the time?

Another thing to consider is, not every experience is meant for you. For example, you LOVE musicals but can barely sit through a game of basketball. You not going to that basketball game does not mean you are missing out on valuable experiences; you are participating in the experiences that are meant for you.

Society tells us to fit in, think the same, be the same, have the same interests, dress the same, talk the same, listen to the same music. But you don’t like rap, you want to wear skinny jeans and big sweatshirts, you LOVE English class. The person sitting next to you loves the opposite. If you know what you don’t like, why would you conform to what the person next to you likes? You won’t, you, your likes, dislikes, and experiences are unique to you. 

But what to do with this information? Allow it to be true to yourself as the school year continues. Remind yourself that you are allowed to like things that others don’t. Speak uniqueness into life every day. Do the things you want. Go to the basketball game, or don’t. You do you.  

Sincerely, 

A junior who hasn’t gone to a game yet and is not feeling any regret about it either. 

P.S I believe in you.