97 Things to Do Before You Finish High School Read online

  How to Do It

  Roam the local video store or DVD rental websites like Netflix or GreenCine in search of intriguing films that will appeal to your friends. Mix personal favorites with one or two that you've never seen but have always been curious about. Pretty much everyone's seen Pirates of the Caribbean, 300, and The Lord of the Rings a million times by now, so skip the most popular titles in favor of little-known gems that will open viewers' eyes to new cinematic worlds. Themes are fun. You can do a night of films about animals (The Black Stallion, Duma, March of the Penguins), animated classics (Shrek, Yellow Submarine, Spirited Away), or music films (Walk the Line, La Bamba, Almost Famous). If your fest will take place over the course of a single day, three films should be plenty. If you want to stretch it out for an entire weekend — as the main activity of a slumber party for three or four friends — choose five or six films (but don't feel pressured to watch them all if your audience is burning out). If your fest is a big hit, consider turning it into an annual event.

  Not Your Mother's Munchies

  Nowadays, lots of cinemas serve up a more diverse selection of high quality snacks to their customers. Follow their lead and, in addition to the customary popcorn, offer your friends (or ask them to bring) snacks like yogurt, granola, exotic juices, homemade cookies, and dark chocolate.

  Mini Fest

  Want to host a film fest, but don't have six hours? Pull together a mini fest with a handful of friends. Together, choose a theme — maybe comedy, sports, or romance, or a more specific one, like best slapstick or hardest breakup — and have each person pick a favorite scene from a movie based on that theme. Then have everyone cue up their tapes or DVDs at the right place, and play the scenes back to back at the mini fest. It's a great way to see parts of various movies all at once and to learn a little about some of your friends.

  15 Throw a House Party

  Parties are a big deal, and each one raises a ton of questions: Who's hosting? Who's on the guest list? Will the parents be out of town? Will the punch be spiked? Throwing a house party can be a blast, but it's important to make sure that your swanky get-together doesn't turn into an out-of-control mob scene. The last thing you want is a trashed living room, some jock puking on your mom's priceless Persian rug, and the cops showing up before midnight to close down the whole shebang. Careful planning will ensure that your shindig is remembered for all the right reasons.

  How to Do It

  First, make sure it's cool with your parents. Next, send out an invite. Try to limit your guest list to about 30 people since more will likely show up anyway. Invite all of your close friends and a few people you'd like to know better — having them over is a great way to move from the acquaintance phase to close-circle status. There's no need to go all out with a sit-down dinner, but do provide finger food and beverages. Music is a must, so create a playlist that works with the mood you want for the party — dance hall and hip-hop are sure to get rumps shaking, while downtempo house music will keep things more mellow and conversation-friendly.

  Be Party Smart

  To prevent your first house party from being your last, follow these guidelines:

  1. Remove all breakables from arm's reach to ensure that even the most well-behaved guest doesn't accidentally knock over a crystal vase while dancing.

  2. If alcohol somehow finds its way into your party, make sure to monitor it carefully; it is illegal, and if people drink too much, get crazy, or get hurt, you're screwed. (Plus, your parents may also get in trouble — not a great way to say “thanks” for the use of their space).

  3. Do not post the invite online and ask your guests not to forward it to the entire school. If 75 people show up, shut it down — it's nearly impossible to weed out the crashers from the keepers in such a big group. The quickest way to empty a house? Tell ’em the cops are on their way.

  4. Be sure to tell any immediate neighbors about your bash in advance, and ask them to call you (not the police) if things get too loud.

  5. To help keep things relatively clean, have trash cans, dish towels, paper towels, TP, and carpet cleaner spray on hand at all times.

  16 Read One Another's Palms

  Life is so unpredictable. It's impossible to know what will happen tomorrow, let alone one, ten, or fifty years from now. Though your future depends primarily on your own life goals and your determination to reach them, it can be fun to experiment with different kinds of mysterious fortune-telling practices, like numerology, medicine cards, tarot cards, cootie catchers, the I Ching, and the Magic 8 Ball. And while most people have little faith in the pseudoscience of chiromancy — commonly known as palm reading — it can't hurt to try it, and it certainly makes for an entertaining afternoon with friends.

  How to Do It

  Gather with a few friends with open minds and open palms. Take turns studying the three most prominent lines on each other's palms. The heart line is found near the top of the palm. Its length and depth are thought to represent your love life, emotional stability, and blood-pumping health. The head line starts at the edge of the palm under the index finger, and supposedly indicates your intellectual and creative abilities. The life line runs from the edge of your palm above the thumb and forms an arc as it reaches your wrist. Believers will tell you that this line represents physical health and overall vitality and energy. Other lines that crisscross the three biggies include the sun line, fate line, and Girdle of Venus. To get diagrams, check out online illustrations, and, without taking it too seriously, see what the fates may (or may not) have in store for you.

  Shake on It!

  Once your palm-reading session has ended, keep your hands working by inventing a secret handshake to be used only by your close circle of friends. Whether it's a high-five adaptation or a spin-off of signals used in baseball practice, a secret handshake mystifies outsiders and ties friends together for life.

  17 End an Argument

  With all that's going on in your life, it's easy to find yourself every now and again in a tiff with a friend or relative. If you're already in a bad mood, you might mistake a friend's trying-to-be-helpful comment (“You've gotta work on your field goals if you wanna make varsity,” or “Those pants make you look fat”) as a vicious put-down. Miscommunications occur all the time. And backstabbing does happen, too, as groups of friends and foes form strategic alliances. Sometimes it's like high school is one long episode of Survivor. But real friends will weather the storm. So if you do offend your best friend or feel betrayed by a close pal's careless or callous comments, take the high road and bury the hatchet.

  How to Do It

  Once you've calmed down from the fight or slight, think objectively about the incident: Who said or did what, and why? Question the cause of the uproar, consider the motivations and feelings of everyone involved, and don't spare yourself when doling out blame or — just as important — forgiveness. Let's say a close friend mysteriously shunned you at lunch. Call, text, or email to find out what's really going on. Maybe he or she was just having a bad day. Hopefully a good heart-to-heart will clear up any misunderstanding. Were you out of line in insulting your friend's taste in music, or did you blow off plans because a better offer came along at the last minute? Own up to your mistake and vow to maintain mutual respect in the future. It'll feel good to clear the air and might just make you closer in the end.

  When Judge Judy Is Busy

  Need some help working out the argument or mending hurt feelings? Present both sides of the story to an unbiased third party — an older friend with great communication skills, or a trusted teacher or coach with a rep for always being fair — who can judge the situation and provide some much-needed perspective.

  18 Correspond With a Pen Pal in Another Country

  Your friends are probably a lot like you. They go to your school, or live on your block, or play on your team. Of course they're awesome, but there is also something to be gained from having a friend who lives halfway around the world. Corresponding with a pen pal f
rom another country is a great way to learn about different cultures, practice your letter-writing skills, and develop the language you've been studying (or at least learn some key foreign phrases). Most important, you'll form a bond with a new friend, even if the two of you don't meet face-to-face for years.

  How to Do It

  Many schools have international exchange programs and keep lists of teens in other countries who want a pen pal from the states. Consult with them or check out an online site (www.penpalworld.com is a good one) that provides profiles of prospective pen pals so you can find someone — in India, Germany, Tahiti, or wherever — who shares some of your interests. Establish a steady back-and-forth correspondence and write at least once a month. Email is easy, but snail mail is actually more fun, as you have more time to anticipate the arrival of a letter from overseas (and can also start a collection of foreign stamps!). Be candid — you're writing to a trusted confidant who you don't actually have to see every day. Talk about hobbies, family, favorite books, and movies, and offer transatlantic tips on cool new bands. Make it a goal to cross paths eventually — a pen pal is a great excuse to take a cross-continental trip.

  Can I Borrow 10 Bucks?

  If your pen pal starts complaining about money problems, or goes so far as to ask you for a loan or gift, you might be dealing with a scam artist posing as a troubled teen. Stop the correspondence right away if anything seems suspicious.

  19 Make a Gift

  Exchanging thoughtful gifts with close mates on birthdays and winter holidays is a nice tradition and sincere gesture of appreciation. But if you really want to do something unique for your friends, give them handmade gifts. Your one-of-a-kind creations will make much more of an impression than the usual last-minute panic gift (DVD, cologne/perfume, video game). Making your own present also gives you a chance to be creative and saves you from handing over your last paycheck to some giant clothing or music corporation.

  Time Is of the Essence

  The reason people tend to buy instead of make gifts is because the latter takes much more time. If you've never made your gift idea before, factor in time to make mistakes and do-overs. Sure, Martha Stewart's three-minute segment on candlemaking looked realistic, but wax and wicks can turn on you, and a tricky task attempted last minute can leave you burned.

  How to Do It

  Take a look at your skills. Know how to make a mean death-by-chocolate brownie, toughen up a belt by adorning it with studs and grommets, or put together a slammin' mix of obscure ska jams? These are all perfect gift ideas. If you're taking an art, wordworking, or metalsmithing class on the weekends or as an elective in school, gift your original artwork adorned with your signature. Wordsmiths can write a short story or series of poems inspired by the recipient. If crafting is your thing, make a scarf, a pillow, or some homemade stationery in your buddy's fave color. If you're really stumped and can't come up with a homemade gift, make a donation to a worthy charity in your friend's name — it's socially responsible and très classy. A gift donation like this usually comes with a card or notice; put it in an envelope that you decorate and personalize for the recipient.

  20 Start a Book Club

  Losing yourself in a good book is one of life's most rewarding solitary pleasures. There's nothing quite so satisfying as whiling away a rainy Sunday afternoon with the latest David Sedaris stories or staying up way too late rereading a classic like The Unbearable Lightness of Being or The Catcher in the Rye. Reading can also be a great group activity. By forming a book club, you can share your love of literature with an intimate group of friends equally smitten with the written word. Remember: The point of a teen book club is not to create a setting of school-style drudgery, but rather to congregate with pals and have fascinating conversations about mysteries, romances, sci-fi weirdness, and other juicy topics not related to whatever whoever wore to school today.

  How to Do It

  Invite four to eight friends to join your book club. Members should commit to meeting once a month. Come up with a schedule of meeting dates and locations, and take turns playing host. Make a list of books you all want to read over the next year or so. If the group has a particular theme, make sure the joining members know that; if not, come up with a mix of novels, biographies, poetry collections, and other types of books that lend themselves well to analysis and debate. Include recent books, as well as older faves like The Chronicles of Narnia — it'll be interesting to hear others' impressions and interpretations of books you think you know inside out. At your meetings, discuss everyone's likes and dislikes about that month's book, and ask questions about plot points, themes, or characters that you didn't quite get. Don't be afraid to get personal — talk about how the story relates to your lives and dreams.

  Suggested Reading

  To start, here are seven can't-miss books for your club to read and discuss:

  Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

  The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

  One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Marquez

  White Oleander by Janet Fitch

  A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

  Life of Pi by Yann Martel

  21 Sing Karaoke

  Trashing off-key American Idol contestants is a national pastime, but regardless of what Randy Jackson says, you've got to give even the most musically challenged Clay Aiken or Carrie Underwood wannabe credit for taking the stage in front of millions of viewers. Do you have the guts to share your rendition of “We Will Rock You” or “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with snickering strangers? If you love to sing but aren't quite ready for the big leagues, gather a bunch of friends and grab a mic at a local karaoke club (or in the safety of your own home, where tone-deaf versions of classic ballads and trendy disco-diva hits are easily forgiven).

  How to Do It

  Most cities have at least one all-ages club where teens are welcome to channel their inner Mariah or Jay-Z on stage. Nothing happening in your town? Electronics stores sell home karaoke kits and preprogrammed microphones that are easy to use and feature hundreds of songs. Chip in with a few friends to buy one and have a karaoke party. Some cable providers also feature a karaoke channel, which runs the song lyrics across the screen. Whatever your karaoke scene and music source, the basics stay the same: Sing along to the recorded music, following the teleprompter if you need help with the lyrics. Don't hog the spotlight — and encourage shy friends to participate by choosing songs that are perfect for group sing-alongs, like “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Other surefire crowd-pleasers are “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot, “Hey Ya!” by Outkast, “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers, and “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.

  Who Invented Karaoke?

  Karaoke, which means “empty orchestra” in Japanese, was invented by Japanese drummer Daisuke Inoue in Kobe in the 1970s. Inoue and his band often played gigs, which were attended by wealthy businessmen who liked to sing along. One time, a businessman asked the drummer to accompany him on a vacation to play music for him and his singing buddies. Inoue couldn't go, so he made the businessman a tape of his music to take with him. It was such a success that Inoue and his friends started making custom-made tapes for clients, and selling them together with singing machines. Thus, karaoke was born.

  22 Dine High-End on a Low Budget

  Fast food is cheap, and you don't have to worry about which fork to use when you're tearing into a burger or burrito at the mall's food court. But sometimes it's good to slow down and enjoy a different dining experience. Despite what you may think, fancy restaurants are not off-limits to you just because the special of the day is out of your price range. After all, it's the ambiance you're after, not the lobster. If you choose the place carefully, and order smartly, you can eat at a restaurant that uses real china and cloth napkins, and indulge in some serious epicurean splendor.

  Ho
w to Do It

  Scan reviews of nice new eateries in your paper's Food section or on any number of online restaurant guides. Pick your place according to the three As: atmosphere, accessibility, and … appetizers. This last one is important; order only starters, or what some restaurants refer to as “small plates” or “tapas,” to keep your bill in check. (Be careful to order only one small dish per person, or you'll end up paying just as much as you would for entrées.) Opting for water instead of expensive drinks will save you tons — and it's amazing how much better water tastes when it comes in a fancy glass. Finally, even when you skimp a bit on dinner to save money, never do so with the tip. Restaurant staff work hard for their money and rely on tips for much of their income. Leave at least a 15 percent tip (which, to make the math easy, is about double the tax in lots of places). Raise that to 20 or 25 percent if your waitperson kicks butt.