"Highschool is going to be the best years of your life!" We've all been told this growing up, from those older than us and from mainstream media. That high school is full of parties and friends that you'll have for the rest of your life. But high school isn't a movie. School sucks and then you graduate. Welcome to reality. The last thing I can do as a Senior (getting out of here in 106 days) is to give you some tips on how to survive these next three miserable years of your life.

Tip Number 1: Be prepared to study more than party. If you walk in the first day expecting to go to parties every weekend, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Sure, you may be invited to some (they're not the raggers you think they'll be) if your one of those people with fifty fake friends and zero real ones. I promise you, your time is mostly going to be, and better spent, doing homework, studying, working, and waiting to graduate. Studying is going to help you later in life, knowing how to shotgun a wine cooler won't.

Tip Number 2: Be ok with loosing friends. High school is a time of self-discovery and growth, where you start figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life. Unfortunately, sometimes that means growing apart from people, but people can also be petty and drop you for no reason, even after years of friendship. I'm not saying to let it stop you from making friends or to always have your guard up - just be prepared. Chances are you'll come out the other side better because of it.

Tip Number 3: Don't sweat the big things. No, I'm not talking about grades (though those are important) I'm talking about status. Popularity, appearance, and who your dating isn’t going to mean a single thing the second your handed that diploma. I take that back; they don’t even mean anything now. So don't sweat it, this isn't Mean Girls or Heathers.

Tip Number 4: Be you. Like I said, the only thing that matters after high school is the piece of printer paper that says you graduated. So be you. Don't be fake. And don't EVER apologize.

Tip Number 5: Don't be afraid to ask for help. High school can be difficult academically and emotionally. There's nothing wrong with asking for a little extra help sometimes.

Ok, high school isn't all that bad, I still have some good memories, but it was nothing like how I expected. It drug me through the mud and I'm a different person (for better or for worse) walking across the stage then I was when that first 7:30 AM bell rung. I just hope the things I learned along the way can help you too, survive both the best and worst next three years of your life.