1. Forget about what's "normal". Instead, ask yourself: "Is this going to contribute to my broader goals in life?" Having close friends in high school may offer

1. Forget about what's "normal". Instead, ask yourself: "Is this going to contribute to my broader goals in life?" Having close friends in high school may offer valuable experiences in social dynamics and managing relationships, but chances are you won't remain friends with most of those people after high school, and that's ok. 2. Definitely research colleges thoroughly and apply to them, but realize that you don't have to go to college. And certainly not right out of high school. In some disciplines, such as web software engineering, those 4 years spent working with real clients could be more valuable for your career than spending lots of money on a Computer Science degree. 3. Leverage all the extra-curricular activities you can in order to gauge your interest in certain subjects. Obviously you can't register for everything, but pick, say 3 activities to focus on each semester and apply yourself to them. As life goes on, you'll have less and less carefree time to explore this stuff.