Everything I Need to Know About High School, I Learned From Taylor Swift

Way back in 2008, Taylor Swift was a country singer and she released a little album called Fearless. The second song on the album, Fifteen, was written about Swift's early days of high school, from meeting her best friend, Abigail Anderson, to the ups and downs of teen romance. If you really listen to the lyrics of the song, you can learn a lot about how to survive high school.
1. "You take a deep breath, and you walk through the doors." This is important if it's your first day of high school and you're a little nervous. Just take a deep breath before you walk inside.
2."Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say, 'you know, I haven't seen you around before.'" There's a good chance you are hoping for this. However, if a senior boy is flirting with you, run. He's almost 18, if he isn't already, and you're 14-15. That is not okay.
3. "Count to ten, take it in, this is life before you know who you're gonna be." Yes. This. Freshman year, and high school as a whole, doesn't last forever. Use this time to explore new things and figure yourself out. Enjoy it.
4. "In your life, you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team." So true. If you do end up dating the boy on the football team and it works out, that's great. Just don't get so focused on making that happen that you lose yourself. There are way more important things like friends, doing things you love, and figuring out who you want to be.
5. "Don't forget to look before you fall." This is one of my favorite lines in this song. Before you do something or date someone, really think about if it's right for you. Ask yourself, is this going to lead me closer to who I want to be? Will I be happy if I do this, or just end up hurt? These are important questions. If all else fails, ask your friends and family.
6. "I've found time can heal most anything." My other favorite line. It's 100% true. You're going to make mistakes. It's what teenagers (and humans in general) do. What's important is that you don't let those mistakes define you. Just give it time and move on. You'll be fine.
Now, go own this school year like the rock star you are! You've got this!