What is high school? It’s four years of your life that will make you into the person you will be for the rest of your life. It’s four years of hard work for some; for others, it’s four years of partying. High school is an endless amount of drama, school work and stress. But the four years that might seem like eternity now will be nothing compared to real life. High school is basically just a warm-up before the longest run of your life: adulthood. Adulthood is hard work. You have to get a job, keep a job and provide for yourself without anybody’s help.

I’ve always looked forward to becoming an adult, but as I grow up, I realize that I’d rather be a highschool student forever because the reality of being an adult is not as fun as it sounds. I look around the world and think: How many adults are homeless? How many adults have a minimum wage job that barely get enough to eat? How many adults are competing for the same job? Then I think: How do I avoid being the adult without a job, without a home, without stability? It all starts with high school.

High school might only be four years of my life, but they are the most important four years of my life, as well. Like I said, it’s the warm up for the next part of life. It’s not only about getting good grades; high school develops your personality. Think about it, if two equally qualified people apply for the same job, what will it come down to? I’ll tell you, it will come down to the best personality. Say one person interviewing had a terrible high school experience and learned nothing but how to walk with a chip on his or her shoulder and the other person interviewing had a great high school experience during which he or she learned how to walk and talk like a professional. Who do you think will get the job?

This is why a good four years of high school are so important. It could make or break a job interview, which could make or break a career, and having a good career will have a huge impact on how your adulthood turns out, whether you will have money for food and a beautiful home or have to borrow money from your parents and live in their basement. This all depends on the most important four years of your life–high school. So don’t take high school lightly. It will set the path for adulthood and for the rest of your life.