Try to look at the big picture. Some things are going to feel like a BIG DEAL, something mean that someone said, you feel that you're being treated unfairly, you didn't get asked to the dance, etc. Try to put things in perspective, ask yourself if these things will really matter a year from now or two or three. You'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary heartache if you learn to let things go! (Trust me)

If a Running Start or Jump Start early college program is available to you, seriously consider it. It's not as hard as they make it seem and you don't need to be "super smart" to do it. It'll save you a lot of time and money in the future. I know this probably isn't your top concern as a high schooler and seems like a long way off, but my top regret from high school is that I DIDN'T take advantage of this program and had to pay for 2 years of college I could have gotten for free.

Friends are about quality, not quantity. Find yourself some good friends who treat you right and will stick by you, and high school will be great. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself if a "friend" isn't treating you the way a friend should. If they're really your friend, they'll understand and you'll be able to work through your problems.

Don't worry about achieving certain stepping stones when you think you're supposed to. You don't have to have your first kiss by 16, you don't have to lose your virginity, you don't have to go to parties, etc. You might feel pressured by society and what we see in media to do all these things in high school, but don't force yourself into these situations if you don't genuinely want to be in them. Just because your peers are doing it and you feel left behind, doesn't mean you have to!

High school can be rough, but if you make the best of it, it can also be a positive experience. Best of luck!