Your School Counselor’s Two Most Important Tips

We’ve been introducing you to your school counselor this month, in the hopes that you will gain a better understanding of all that they can do to support you, and how much they truly want to do so!

So far we’ve talked about what you may not know about your school counselor, but that they want you to know, and also how your school counselor can support your mental wellness.

Today’s post will be a quick one because we want to just break it down short and sweet into the two most important tips your school counselor probably wants to be sure that you know.

And get ready, because it’s going to be a little bit of a ride.

On the surface, it is going to seem like these two tips contradict each other. 

But stick with us here, okay?

Tip One: Don’t wait and think you can fix it all later. Work hard starting now.

And Tip Two: No failure is ever permanent. If you struggle, it is possible to still achieve your goals. 

Now let’s discuss, because you’ll see how this all makes sense, and how much your school counselor really does want the best for you!

Tip One: Don’t wait and think you can fix it all later. Work hard starting now.

There are a few elements happening here.

First- you want to know that you’re working for credits. 

Sometimes it can be easy to dismiss the gravity of that truth, especially after elementary school and middle school, where all you really need to do is work hard enough to go on to the next grade.

So it is important to remember that if you blow off a class, or don’t decide to take high school seriously as a freshman, you may find that you have to dig yourself out down the road.

If your GPA suffers because of choices you make, it could mean that you find yourself retaking classes or not having the options you wish you had for after high school.

And when it’s because of choices you have made- electing to hang out with friends after school instead of studying, for example- that ends up making you feel frustrated and disappointed with yourself. 

So as much as you are able to have control over your time and energy- don’t wait. Work hard. Find opportunities. And do your best.

Now to the second tip.

No failure is ever permanent. If you struggle, it is possible to still achieve your goals. 

What if you really and truly  try and you still struggle and get some lousy grades or even fail a class or two? 

Or, what if your mental health is suffering and you just can’t get motivated to do school?

What if you are having troubles at home and don’t even have a calm and quiet environment to study? 

In other words: what if life happens, and through no fault of your own, your GPA suffers?

This is where your school counselor (and I) want you to know: no failure is ever permanent. There are always ways to get to the other side.

If you’ve struggled or you are struggling, know that it does not mean you will not have opportunities.

There is always a way to achieve your goals. Your route may take a bit longer, or have a different branch, but you can get to where you want to be.

For example: if you struggled during your freshman and sophomore years, but as a junior you begin to do better, and your dream is to go to a four-year college, there are a number of scenarios that might get you there.

• Colleges love when you have an upward trend. Maybe if your junior and senior year grades are great, and you are able to explain what happened and how you are now on track, you can still get into a great college and begin on time.
• You may try a local community college at first, and prove yourself there, then transfer to the four-year college of your dreams.
• You may choose to focus on a skilled trade, go straight into the world of work and take classes on the side while making money and working your way into your four-year college. 
• You could go into the military and get paid while you serve, and then have them pay for your four-year college! 

And your dream might be totally different, but this is one example of how failure is never final.

It is always possible to achieve your goals, as long as you are willing to be flexible and open-minded and work hard! 

Hopefully you can tuck these two tips away and keep them in mind, because they really are important to your success AND your mental wellness!

Your school counselor (and I) want you to feel that urgency that will drive you to really dig in and try to do your best in school- but also want you to know that whatever happens, there are resources and ways to get to where you want to be. 

And as always, I can’t sign off without reminding you about our Ready to Hope workshops!

Workshops are designed to support your mental wellness by giving you a chance to share your stressors, to try out tools, or to just build healthy and strong connections so that you have people to turn to when you need them.

Find out more about workshops here, or stay informed with our emails by signing up, below!

And don’t forget to follow along on Facebook (yeah, probably more for the parents 😉 or Instagram (for everyone ;).