Of course, I left my senior column to the absolute last minute. I couldn’t decide how to turn my six years of experiences into a 500 word column that hopefully conveys something other than “it was good.” So what I’m about to write I hope you’ll find more genuine and more personal than that; here are six lessons I learned at Harvard-Westlake, one from each grade, that I will carry with me into college and maybe will help you with the rest of your time here as well.

7^th– It’s okay to drift from people and make new friends- don’t feel guilty about it. It’s part of continuing to figure out who you are.

8^th– Everyone deals with things differently and we have to respect that. Just because someone else is sad or upset or hurt about the same thing you are doesn’t mean that both of you will act or think the same way about it.

9^th – Find a safety net outside of Harvard-Westlake. For me, this was my club soccer team. I feel so lucky to have had the best friends I made from this team in my life throughout high school.

10^th – When you step out of your comfort zone and try something new, it’s ok to not be the best at it. I learned this by becoming a cheerleader after ten years of soccer training.

11^th – Compare yourself to others, but only if you’re going to be fair to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up over those one or two subjects that seem so difficult to you but easy to everyone else. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and this carries through into academics.

12^th – People change, myself included, and that’s ok. It’s normal for people to go through phases or hang around different crowds (I was a soccer player, cheerleader, played the flute for a quick second, tried performing in a one act, took studio art, and ended up here, on Chronicle, writing this column). Change shouldn’t be scary and overwhelming. Accept and even welcome it as part of this crazy experience that is Harvard-Westlake.

p.s. HAVE FUN.