It’s simple wisdom, but sound nonetheless: If you want advice, talk to those who have been there. Every year, Mrs. Schumacher’s seniors create a list of things that they wish they had known when they were younger so that they could have lived differently. Regret is the worst things with which to live, so here’s some sage advice to help you avoid that ugliest of monsters.

1. Be yourself and be grateful – Make sure you be who you are. You shouldn’t be afraid to be who you truly are, and it’s the best year to finally express that. You should have confidence in being yourself and be grateful for all you have. Be grateful for any amazing teachers that have helped you through the years, your parents who have supported and loved you, all the friends who were always there for you and much more. (Kayanne Monti and Isabella Ayala)

2. Enjoy the little things – Take a break from studying for a few minutes to play with your dog, go get a BEC from Cameron’s deli, go grab a late night snack at Eveready Diner, go spend too much money to rent uncomfortable ice skates and go to Friday night free skate at the ice arena, or hike and explore the area. These things may be simple, but one day they may not be at your fingertips. (Erin Clark and Fred Halter)

3. Beware the traffic – When you can drive to school, it can take forever. Every morning, you will wait behind more cars than you can count. Give yourself time or your driving privileges will be taken away! (Adrian Dominguez-Rudolph and Chris Russo)

4. It’s ok to make mistakes – Don’t let a small setback stress you out. One of the most important things to learn in life is how to keep going. If you messed something up, figure out how to make up for it, and move on. (Michelle Feighan and Kevin Moroney)

5. Learn how to dance – This one is mostly for the guys, since we can only manage to shuffle around for a few awkward minutes before getting too sweaty. Just look up some YouTube videos or go out and buy Just Dance for Xbox or Playstation since you definitely have one of those. (Erik Jacobsen and Josh Salzman)

6. Respect your teachers – This should come as a no-brainer for you. Think of your teacher as your boss that pays you…with knowledge. That teacher who just confronted you about playing on your stupid phone every day has the power to make your life a living hell if they get fed up enough with you. Not to mention it’s just common respect for your elders. Also, if you respect your teacher, they will more often than not go out of their way to help you out: maybe write a recommendation letter, give you a pass to the library, or let a late assignment slide for a few days. It’s just not worth it to be an annoying, selfish, little brat who has to create conflict every time the teacher looks at you the wrong way. (Erik Jacobsen and Josh Salzman)

7. If you have an excessive amount of time to waste, get a job – Getting a job will be extremely beneficial to you. You will have some spending money, and you will learn the basics of economics. You will learn how to set up a bank account, file taxes, and develop money management skills. Also, save some of the money you earn because you will need it in college. (Scott Jacobsen and Eric Waclawski)

8. Have a positive attitude – If you don’t have a positive attitude, school will feel like a jail to you. Nobody really feels like coming to school, but you have to. So one thing we’ve learned is to make the best of the situation that you’re in, because that will make the best turnout. (Justin Jimenez and Ryan Lynch)

9. Don’t get anyone pregnant or get pregnant yourself – You don’t want to be a parent this early in life. (Tim Meissner and Chris Torrioni)

10. School shouldn’t always be so stressful – You decide how you go about your years in high school. You can either choose to be organized and actually care about how everything is, or you can just be a mess and never know what your assignments are. Being organized makes you feel so much better. Being messy only makes you feel like your life is a mess, and it makes you feel like you have a mess in your head. At least that’s how it is for me. (Darlyn Palma)

11. Don’t let anyone determine your future – Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Believe in yourself, and do what YOU want to do, and what you feel that you are capable of, and what you think will be your future. Also, don’t forget that YOU are the one that can make things happen. (Destiny Perez)

12. Read​ ​more – Reading is a great exercise for the mind which I should’ve done more of over the summer. (Connor Bailie and Robert Russo)

13. Seeing eye to eye with administration can be difficult – This is unavoidable, but instead of letting this be a problem, allow it to be a life lesson about how to have people skills and how to come to compromises with others: no matter where you end up in life, there will always be people with whom you have disagreements, and the key to success is being able to communicate in a positive manner. (Erin Clark and Fred Halter)

14. It’s okay to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life – Take a variety of classes and learn about many different things. You never know if an elective you take will spark an interest in a new subject. If you enjoy a class, look further into whether or not there is a potential job in that field. (Kayanne Monti and Isabella Ayala)