My Advice to High School Graduates and Soon-to-Be High School Graduates: Questions to Ask Yourself Upon Graduation from High School

Among the helpful questions that a teenage American citizen might want to ask himself upon graduating from high school are:

(1) Which of the books I read in high school that I currently own, or that I checked out from the library, would I like to someday purchase and add to my own personal permanent individual library---a personal library for myself I can draw upon and feel inspired by throughout my post-high school years.

(2) Which topics or authors or mini-subjects or subjects mentioned in passing one day in class or persons studied as part of an academic course of mine, intrigued me the most?

For example:
Did I particularly enjoy studying the Progressive Era of American history?

Was I particularly intrigued by the Great Depression during my American History course?

What might explain why my world-history teacher at my high school emphatically and repeatedly stated to my entire class that he himself habitually referred to one cited Protestant religious denomination in the United States as "the 'Businessman's Religion', since so many members of that religious denomination join a church with the primary intent of selling lots of life-insurance policies to other members of that congregation," as that part-time football coach at my high school and part-time world-history teacher there put it so vividly?

Which of the poems that I read in my English and American literature classes did I savor the most? Could I obtain a copy of each of the poems that I enjoyed the most and add that to my permanent personal library?

Was I particularly fascinated by my English Literature teacher's observation in front of my entire class that considerable doubt exists today as to whether William Shakespeare or Queen Elizabeth I or Christopher Marlowe was the actual author of the plays and poems currently attributed to Shakespeare?

(3) Did I keep a personal journal or personal diary during my high school years? If so, wouldn't it make sense for me to continue reflecting on my life by keeping a daily journal or diary?

If I didn't keep a diary or journal during my high school years, wouldn't this be a good time to start that thought-provoking leisuretime hobby or pastime for myself?

(4) Of the various schoolmates of mine and other teenage persons whom I encountered during my high school years, which individuals whom I never went to lunch or dinner with would I now like to invite to have a meal or snack and conversation with myself sometime this summer at a local restaurant or coffeehouse?

(5)Did I possibly over-emphasize competition in any way during my high school years? Aren't teamwork and a sense of mutually-beneficial pursuits and the honorable sharing of ideas and observations and creative mutual-consent dialogues with others also important?

(6)Did I allow my own competition with other students during my high school years to distract me in any way from any of my own personal goals or any of my own career-related or personal religious goals?

(7) Did I associate during my high school years with persons who are as law-abiding and honest and polite as myself?

(8) Do I recall any occasions in which schoolmates of mine (or other teenage persons whom I encountered) led me astray and possibly pressured me into doing something that was possibly illegal or violated the rules of my school district or school? If so, do I or should I currently associate with any of the young persons who led me astray?

(8)Of the various schoolmates of mine and other high-school-age youths, which individuals inspired in me a greater sense of calmness, tranquility, dignity, and self-confidence? Have I made a point of keeping up with some or several of those inspirational individuals?

(9) Is there any extracurricular group or extracurricular creative activity that I wanted to pursue in high school, but I was not able to during that period of my life? If so, would I like to pursue any of those creative pastimes starting this summer?

(10) Of the schoolmates of mine who were in a different grade level than my own, are there any persons whom I would like to keep up with?

(11) Of the various hobbies and pastimes that schoolmates of mine or other acquaintances of mine were pursuing, which hobbies or pastimes would I like to possibly add to my own leisuretime activities?

(12) Which schoolmates of mine and other teenage persons did I have the most conflicts with during my high school years? When that type of conflict arises for me in the future, will I respond to that future conflict for me in the same way that I did during my high school years?

(13) Was there any evidence of significantly illegal or unethical or injurious conduct by any schoolmate of mine or other youth that I chose not to share with the principal or vice principal of my high school? In the future, will I be willing to contact my local law-enforcement agency in order to report evidence of illegal activities of that type to the police?

(14) Which of the oral conversations of 30 minutes or longer that I enjoyed the most during my high school years featured a conversation partner whom I was not myself dating or seeking to date? Do I plan to possibly keep up with that individual whose strictly-platonic companionship I enjoyed?

(15) Are there any helpful practical skills (cooking skills, for instance) that I did not learn during my high school years, and that I might find the time to learn this summer?

(16) Is there any law-abiding and honorable skill or healthful creative activity or hobby that I wanted to learn or pursue during my high school years, but I chose not to pursue because I feared that it might undermine my reputation among some or many other high school students.

(17) What were my leading fears and anxieties during my high school years? Did I take any steps to overcome or alleviate each of those fears or anxieties?

(18) Who were my primary exercise partners during my high school years? Since exercise is crucial to human health and overall vitality, is there any way that I can befriend each of my primary exercise partners during my high school years whom I currently keep up with?

(19)Did I ever prepare a meal from scratch for any of my high school schoolmates whom I admired and liked? Have I considered pursuing a project of that type sometime this summer inside my parents' home (with prior permission from my parents, that is), it being a certainty that individuals who are treated to a homemade meal from a friend are often emotionally touched by that hospitality and creative generosity.

(20) Is there any cultural institution in my city or town, such as a museum or rare-books library or concert hall, that I have not yet visited, and I could invite a friend to accompany me on a visit to that thought-provoking place?

(21) During my high school years, did I consistently maintain a strong sense of my own personal values and priorities in how I evaluated or responded to other individuals?

(22) What percentage of my friends and acquaintances during my high school years were generally polite and obeyed the law and complied with the rules of my school campus? If that percentage was less than 60 percent, is there anything I could do to increase that percentage in my post-high school lifestyle?

(23) Was there any church sermon I heard and felt inspired by during my high school years that I would now like to obtain a copy of for my own personal individual library? If so, have I considered contacting the church I attended during my high school years in order to request a copy of the entire text of that sermon?

(24) After I identified possible career interests for myself during my high school years, did I ever attempt to introduce myself (with my parents' prior permission) to any of the honorable adult persons in my city or town who pursue that career? If so, did I pose any questions of my own to any of those adult persons in order to learn more about what it is like to actually pursue that type of career.

(25) Did I ever ask my church pastor or minister to introduce me to an honorable adult member of my family's religious congregation who is pursuing a career in a field that I myself might like to also pursue?

(26) What were the various nicknames that schoolmates of mine dubbed me during my high school years? Were all of those nicknames flattering to myself? If not, what can I do in the future to avoid acquiring an unfavorable public reputation of that type among schoolmates of mine at my post-secondary educational institution.

(27) During my high school years, could I have done more to discourage schoolmates of mine from greeting me with a nickname they had assigned me that I myself did not like?

(28) What percentage of my mutual-consent friends during my high school years frequently verbalized obscenities and profanity in my presence? In my post-high school life, would I like to reduce the percentage of my own friends who verbalize obscene or profane speech in my presence?

(29) Were there any pranks or fraudulent communications I participated in during my high school years that I now regret? If so, might this serve as a warning to me to refrain from ever participating in pranks during my post-high school years?

(30) Do I know of any schoolmate of mine who suffered a tragedy (such as a car accident) that he or she could have avoided or prevented? If so, might this also serve as a reminder to me that I need to diligently strive to avoid or prevent a tragedy of that type from victimizing myself in my own life?

(31) Did I develop any addictions during my high school years that I now believe to have harmed me or violated the law? If so, do I plan to overcome that addiction of mine at the earliest opportunity?

(32) Was I generally respectful of the privacy rights of others throughout my high school years? Also, did anyone violate my own privacy rights in a flagrant manner during my high school years?

(33) Have I considered establishing a personal educational videotapes library for myself that can play an invaluable role in my own lifelong education during my most-high school years?

(34) Did I remember to keep a copy of each and every course syllabus from my academic courses I pursued during my high school years? If so, wouldn't those syllabuses make a fine contribution to my permanent lifelong-education files in my own personal permanent library that I keep for myself?

(35) Which personal or career-related anecdotes from teachers or schoolmates of mine during my high school years intrigued me the most? Might this be a basis for factual research I could pursue starting this summer?

For example:
Did my first-rate Spanish teacher intrigue me one schoolday by recalling the very frightening experience she had herself endured several weeks before in which a male adult stranger at a street intersection had suddenly and unexpectedly forced his way into a motor vehicle she was driving? What had been my Spanish teacher's polite response to that stranger's allegedly criminal conduct victimizing herself? How would I myself respond if confronted with any comparable circumstance while I was driving a motor vehicle?

Also, what do crime-deterrence experts currently recommend as the most effective and law-abiding and honorable way to thwart a car-jacker?

(36) If I were to take a "true or false" test about my own conduct as a high school student, would I respond with "true" or "false" to the following statement: "He frequently gave in to peer pressure that urged him to pursue illegal and reckless activities"?

(37) If I plan to enroll in an institution of higher education in the fall that is situated outside of my city or town or metro area, have I visited a local public library to find up-to-date guidebooks to the city or town or metro area or state where my expected college is situated?

Wouldn't it make sense to learn as much as possible about that city or metro area or state (Lincoln and Nebraska, for instance, if I plan to attend the main campus of the University of Nebraska in the fall) several months before I move into my dorm room on that campus?

(38) Of the various persons I encountered during my high school years, which individuals were the most entertaining or witty or enjoyably humorous conversation partners for myself? Did any of those entertaining conversation partners also comment to me that they found me entertaining or witty or enjoyably humorous as well?

(39) Of my various schoolmates or classmates at my high school, which gentleman student and which lady student exceled the most at developing strictly-platonic and affectionate platonic (non-sexual, non-romantic) personal relationships with a wide range of female students as well as a wide range of male students? What was the "secret" to the admirable platonic-relationships success of that schoolmate or classmate of mine?

(40) Was there any occasion during my high school years in which I wanted to very emphatically say to a teacher of mine or a classmate or schoolmate of mine, "I disagree with you on that," but I chose not to speak up? Do I recall the occasion or two in which I most wanted to speak up and politely disagree with a teacher or classmate or schoolmate of mine, but I chose not to do so?

(41) Which of my schoolmates or teachers or guidance counselors or administrators at my high school offered me the best and wisest personal advice or career-related or academic advice? Am I currently a personal friend of that individual, and if not, would I possibly want to become friends with him or her?

(42) Did I celebrate my graduation from high school by attending a party where everyone obeyed the law and had fun at that party? If so, isn't that a fine way to start my post-high-school life?

(43) Was I afraid of any of my classmates or schoolmates or teachers or administrators at my high school? If so, would there any benefit to myself from learning additional factual information about the classmate or schoolmate or teacher or administrator who had intimidated me --- or possibly even bullied me? Might that factual information help me in the future to maintain my composure and avoid feeling tormented by an acquaintance who intimidated me?

(44)Of all my personal relationships during my high school years, which personal relationship was the most mutually-beneficial and enjoyable to myself AND to the other person? What might explain why most of the other personal relationships of mine during my high school years seemed to lack that mutually-beneficial and mutually-enjoyable and mutually-respectful quality?

(45) Did sarcasm from myself and others possibly play too much of a role in my conversations and dialogues and E-mail notes and texting experiences during my high school years?

(46) In which specific ways do I myself now believe that I was among the very best students or very best human beings at my high school?

(47) Do I now regret having appeared to be embarrassed by, or displeased to be "seen with," either or both of my parents or any other cited relatives of mine when I went on outings or visited a public place with one or more of those relatives of mine during my high school years?

(48) Of the various pets that I owned or helped to take care of during my childhood, which pet was my favorite? Would I like to own or take care of or help take care of a pet of that type during my post-high school years as well?

(49)Which school year of my high school years do I now believe was my happiest and most creatively fulfilling? Was that my freshman year, my sophomore year, my junior year, or my senior year? What might account for that particular school year having been my happiest? Were there any hobbies or extracurricular activities I pursued that school year that I would like to again pursue during my post-high-school years?

(50) Is it possible that the hobbies or pastimes I pursued the most passionately during my high school years might also suggest a career-field interest for me?

For instance:
---If I enjoyed reading murder mystery novels during my high school years, does this possibly suggest that I might like to someday become a homicide detective for a law-enforcement agency?

--If I was delighted by readings of mine about aromatherapy during my high school years, should I consider pursuing an eventual career as the owner of a fragrant-plants botanical nursery that exclusively sells attractively-fragrant plants to amateur gardeners.

--If I particularly enjoyed collecting memorabilia from Europe during my high school years, might I someday enjoy pursuing a career as a scholar of European Studies?

(51) Have I asked any of my teachers or any of my clergymen from my high school years to please provide me with a suggested reading list that I could make use of throughout my post-high school life?

(52) Have I checked out any books from the library that explore the history of any particular favorite pastime or favorite hobby of mine?

(53) Have I checked out any books from the library that offer me additional factual information about each of my own favorite pastimes and hobbies?

(54) Are there any college scholarships that I did not apply for during my high school years, but that I might qualify for? Have I visited my local public library to consult data bases on college scholarship opportunities for myself?

(55) Of the magazines and newspapers on display in my high school library and local municipal public library, which magazines and newspapers would I most like to subscribe to during my post-high school years?

(56) Were there any topics or subjects or themes I wanted to explore further through a written research paper by myself during my high school years, but I chose other topics instead for my research papers? Might I want to pursue factual research this summer on any of the topics I particularly liked but did not pursue as a research paper theme?

(57) What were the various hobbies and pastimes of the famous or noteworthy persons whom I've admired the most during my high school years? Is it possible that in my own life, I might also enjoy pursuing some or several of the hobbies or pastimes that were pursued enthusiastically by famous or noteworthy persons whom I admired?

(58) In which state or states of the United States would I most like to reside permanently a decade or two after my graduation from high school? Have I pursued any factual research about the state or states that most appeal to me in that way?

(59) Of the various cities and towns that I have already visited in my first 18 years of life, which cities and towns are my all-time favorites? Have I considered writing to the Chamber of Commerce of each of those cities and towns and requesting free brochures about that city or town?

(60) Of my various classmates and schoolmates, which individuals struck me as being the most independent-minded and the last susceptible to peer pressure? Might it be helpful to me if I were to schedule a lunch meeting or tea-and-conversation meeting this summer with that admirably independent-minded friend or acquaintance? During that two-person meeting, wouldn't that be a grand opportunity for me to explore how he or she is able to maintain such a refreshingly independent-minded outlook?

(61) Of my various classmates and schoolmates during my high school years, which persons were the most respectful toward my own religious and political beliefs? Have I become personal friends with any of those respectful individuals?

(62) What do I now feel were the 10 biggest mistakes that I made during my high school years? In which ways do I plan to avoid making those same types of mistakes in my post-high-school years?

(63)Have I devoted any thought to which persons actually made phone calls to myself on their own initiative during my high school years? Doesn't it possibly indicate sincere interest in me as a human being when a classmate or schoolmate of mine decides on his own initiative to make a personal phone call to myself?

(64)Looking back on my high school years, how would I complete the following sentence: "The classmates and other schoolmates of mine who consistently had a cheerful and enthusiastic and optimistic and energizing emotional effect on me were______________"?

(65)Looking back on my high school years, how would I complete the following sentence: "The schoolmates of mine who would have voted to cite me as a graduating senior 'likely to succeed in life', include__________________________."

(66) Looking back on my high school years, which friends and acquaintances of mine generally smiled at me in a friendly and appreciative manner?

(67) Was I pleased or displeased by the choice or city or town or other destination chosen by my classsmates for our senior school trip? Which destination would I have myself chosen for our senior class's school trip, if I had been more persuasive with my classmtes? Does my personal preference on that possibly serve as a reminder to me that I might also enjoy living in that city or town or metro area?

(68) How would I complete the following sentence: "My lowest point, or absolute worst personal crisis, during my high school years occurred after I...."?

(69) Did I devote enough time during my high school years to studying the full range of career opportunities and career options? For instance, was I fully aware during my high school years that I have the option of pursuing a career of studying insects? Was I aware during my high school years that I have the option of pursuing a career as a full-time researcher?

(70) Of my various teachers during my high school years, which teacher, if any, did I most suspect of disliking me as a human being? How did I respond to any such perception by myself? For instance, did I ask one or both of my parents to meet with that teacher and explore with her or him why that teacher had a possible attitudinal bias against myself? Did I request a meeting with the chairman of that teacher's department in order to explore this major concern of mine with that department chairman? Did I request a meeting with a guidance counselor or vice principal or principal to explore why it was that the cited teacher appeared to exhibit animosity or antipathy toward myself?

(71) Which of my friends and acquaintances and teachers of mine during my high school years most conveyed to me their outlook that I'm a Very Important Person?

Which of my friends and acquaintances and teachers of mine conveyed to me the outlook that they regard me as NOT being an Important Person?

(72) Which friends and acquaintances of mine during my high school years on their own initiative volunteered to me their expectation or confidence that I will have a good or great future, or that they expect me to be very succcessful in my career pursuits or creative pursuits?

(73) In which of my classes in high school was I the least likely to raise my hand and pose a question when I had one?

In the future, how can I develop greater confidence about raising my hand during a class session and posing a question to the teacher when I have a question in my mind?

(74) Would it be helpful to me to jot down a list of each of the schoolmates of mine and adult acquaintances of mine whom I admire the most, and to then ask each of those persons to please provide me with an up-to-date copy of his personal resume? Might that collection of resumes from persons I admire help me to reflect on logical steps that I can take in my own life to achieve each of my own honorable and law-abiding and creative goals for myself?

(75) Might it help to inspire me in my post-high school years if I wrote to each of the famous persons of today whom I admire the most, and I requested an inscribed personal message to me and signed autograph and accompanying photograph of himself from each of those famous persons?

(76) To boost my self-confidence during my post-high school years, might it make sense for me to obtain recent factual information comparing the average salary levels of Americans who obtained a high school dilpoma or graduate equivalence degree, with the average salary levels of persons who never completed their high school education?

(77) Did any schoolmate of mine exhibit any tendency to spy on me or illegally videotape me or stalk me in any way or harass me or verbally abuse me at any time during my high school years? If so, might it be helpful for me to establish a personal computer file for myself inside my private residence that's entitled, "Former Acquaintances of Mine Who Might Violate My Privacy in My Post-High-School Years"----a factual file I could consult if I ever sense that I'm being victimized by an alleged possible stalker during my post-high-school years.

(78) Did I especially like my school's official motto during my high school years? If so, might it be inspirational to me in my post-high-school years if I were to type up my school motto in large-size letters, obtain a printout of that motto, and then tape that printout of my very impressive school motto to the front of my personal computer inside my residence?

(79) Of the various schoolmates of mine during my high school years, which individuals met me for the first time ever by approaching me on their own initiative and directly introducing themselves to me? Might that have been an indication of a higher or deeper level of personal interest in me on the part of that schoolmate, and if so, do I currently want to keep up with that individual?

(80) What were my leading non-romantic fantasies during my high school years? Did I fantasize, for instance, about myself competing professionally in singles tennis as a tennis player at the Wimbledon tennis tournament at London, England? Did I fantasize about someday becoming a professor at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey?

During my post-high-school years, do I want to myself pursue some element or aspect or portion of any of my leading fantasies from my years of secondary education?

For instance, could I simply write and mail a thoughtful and idealistic letter addressed to Queen Elizabeth II or the Prime Minister of The United Kingdom as an alternative to "serving aces" at the leading British-sponsored annual professional tennis tournament?

Another example might be: Shouldn't I devote more thought to identifying a specific academic field I enjoy in which I might someday become a professor or researcher or lecturer at a college or university, regardless of whether that post-secondary educational institution is Princeton University in New Jersey.

(81) Should I give more thought to the subjects, persons, themes, U.S. cities and states, and foreign nations that I chose to celebrate and highlight and promote and honor on my bulletin board and wall displays and desk inside my bedroom of my parents' home during my high school years?

Didn't it tell me something about my own affinities, for instance, that I kept separate decals of the Swedish flag and the Greek flag on permanent display near my desk in my bedroom during my high school years?

Didn't it also tell me something about my affinities during my high school years that I owned and displayed on my desk inside my bedroom a drinking glass I never drank from that featured the British flag design wrapped around the entire exterior of that drinking glass.

(82) Which traumatic experiences or unpleasant experiences of mine during my high school years might possibly undermine my devotion to a healthy sense of wholesome adventure in my post-high school years?

Was it painful for me, for instance, to be told by a female schoolmate of mine one day during my first-ever experience at riding on a sailboat that I had personally been blameworthy, through a cited mistake on my part, when the sailboat in which she and I were the only two passengers aboard that day had suddenly tipped over and plunged into the lake?

Was it also painful to me to be told by that female schoolmate of mine during that accident in which we each ended up in the water, that she was angry with me that day because a favorite very expensive imported suntan lotion of hers that she herself owned had fallen into the lake, and might be lost forever, as a result of that sailboat accident?

(83) Was there any topic or theme or mini-topic or skill I attempted to learn during my high school years, but I did not, in fact, learn?

Wouldn't this summer be a good time to learn more about that topic or develop that skill that somehow eluded me during my high school years?

(84) Did I ever attempt to identify the style of architecture or styles of architecture of the school campus where I attended high school?

Would this summer offer me a fine opportunity for pursuing additional factual research about the style or styles of architecture of my high school campus? Also, wouldn't that factual research serve as a handy guide for me whenever I encounter similar styles of architecture in my post-high school years?

(85) Of the various teachers and staff members and administrators at my high school campus who inspired admiration from me, did any of those educators also inspire me to reflect on whether I might someday like to pursue a career similar to or very similar to their own career?

(86) Which figures from my American History and World History studies during my high school years intrigued me the most? If I found Charlemagne to be particularly fascinating, have I considered consulting an online Wikipedia encyclopedia this summer for additional factual information about Charlemagne?

(87) Were there any pep rallies during my high school years that I did not attend, but that would have given me a nice opportunity to express enthusiastic support for classmates of mine or schoolmates of mine and athletic coaches or academic coaches at my high school?

(88) Did I learn something about hyberbole and the role of propaganda and demagoguery in American popular culture from the very emphatic banners posted inside my high school campus during football weeks that declared an ardent desire to "annihilate" or "destroy" or "demolish" or "pummel" or "pulverize" or "scalp" an opposing athletic squad that Friday night?

(88) Was I ever surprised to observe at varsity athletic contests I attended during my high school years that the students and athletes and coaches and parents affiliated with opposing high school squads were remarkably similar to those of my own high school?

(89) Of the extra-credit creative projects I pursued on my own initiative during my high school years, which creative projects did I enjoy the most?

(90) Did my high school years teach me anything about the role of false rumors or fraudulent communications in modern society?

Was I myself ever cited by name in any false rumors, and did any of those false rumors being spread by schoolmates of mine ever hurt my feelings or harm me in any other way?

(91) Did I ever attempt to have a one-to-one conversation with any administrator at my high school in order to learn more about the challenges that that vice principal or principal faced?

(92) Did I develop a dislike of my own toward any of the teachers or staff members or administrators at my high school?

If so, what did I dislike about that teacher or staff member or administrator? Did I ever have any specific factual evidence indicating that that teacher or staff member or administrator had wronged myself or anyone else? Did I attempt to discuss that concern of mine with a supervisor of that teacher, that staff member, or that administrator (the principal, for instance, if I sensed that a vice principal had wronged me or some other student), or possibly with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

(93) Did I feel uncomfortable with or dislike any teacher or staff member or administrator at my high school campus primarily because he or she was significantly older in age than the majority of other teachers or staff membrs or administrators?

If so, was it fair of me to dislike a teacher or staff member or administrator based on that individual's age per se? Couldn't I have thought it admirable that someone in his 60s, for instance, was pursuing a career aimed at helping teenage persons like myself? Couldn't I have seen it as impressive that this individual in his 60s was still alive and fully ambulatory, and still intellectually vital?

(94) Of the various older-than-average teachers or faculty members or administrators at my high school, did I ever consider interviewing any of them with prior permission from themselves for an audiotaped oral-history project?

For instance, might I have interviewed one of my older teachers about what her own life had been like during the 1950s or the Vietnam War era?

(95) Was there any student organization at my high school that I generally liked, but that I chose not to join because the president of that organization was a schoolmate or classmate of mine whom I felt uncomfortable with?

In the future, might there be some alternative way to respond when I'm interested in possibly joining a student grup, but I learn that the president of that group --- or the faculty adviser of that group, for that matter---- is someone I personally do not feel comfortable with?

(96) Which of my classmates or schoolmates did I myself befriend in the most tangibly helpful or generous manner during my high school years? Does my generosity toward that individual possibly indicate that I might make a good prospective long-term or lifelong personal friend for that individual?

(97) Which of my schoolmates did the most to introduce me to new acquaintances for myself who were, in fact, honorable and polite?

(98) During my high school years, do I recall the occasions when I felt the greatest personal pride toward either or both of my parents or grandparents or aunts or uncles?

(99) In which subjects of mine during my high school years did I daydream the most frequently---so much so that I failed to adequately concentrate on that subject during class sessions? Were any of my daydreams related to that subject of the course in any way? In the future, how do I plan to achieve a focus on the class subject when I note a tendency toward daydreaming on my part?

(100) If I daydreamed a lot during my class sessions during my high school years, might it help me this summer to pursue some factual research about recent social-science studies on daydreaming by high school students that occurred during class at their high school? For instance, have any recent studies offered any factual information about how a high school student can direct his personal attention toward the cited subject during his class session?

(101) During my high school years, did I ever approach a teacher of mine immediaately after class in order to praise that teacher for having given an especially interesting and thought-provoking and first-rate oral presentation before my class that day?

If not, was I possibly afraid that a classmate of mine would accuse me of attempting to "curry favor with" the teacher or "trying to get an unfair advantage in competition with classmates by bribing the teacher with praise"?

(102) Was there any "favorite teacher" of mine at my high school whom my parents and I all particularly admired or loved or liked, and whom my parents would be willing to invite to attend a four-person breakfast meeting or lunch meeting or dinner meeting and conversation with myself and my parents this summer inside a restaurant or coffehouse?

(103)Did any of my parents tell me about a particularly impressive career-related or personal or religious accomplishment of their own during my high school years, but I failed to ask follow-up questions to learn more about that accomplishment?

If so, might this summer after my graduation from high school give me a wonderful opportunity to ask either or both of my parents for more details about the accomplishments of theirs that I had been particularly impressed by?

(104) During my high school years, did I pay enough attention to the circumstances in which either or both of my parents appeared to be the happiest or the most elated or delighted or cheerfully confident inside my family home--or away from our family home, for that matter?

Did I attempt to learn more about why my parents appeared to be more cheerful and laughed more or smiled more, for instance, on those particular occasions during my high school years?

(105) Did I attempt to politely discuss with either of my parents the observations or personal impressions they had shared with me about cited teachers of mine or cited administrators of mine or cited schoolmates of mine at my high school?

Did my parents' observations about any of those acquaintances of mine or friends of mine offer me any helpful insights?

(106) Which types of tests or exams that I took during my high school years did I dread the most?

In the future, is there any way I could reduce my prior "dread and apprehension" toward a test or exam of that type when I am asked to take that type of test at a post-secondary educational institution or a workplace?

(107) Did I develop any dislike of any subjects at my high school that was, in fact, primarily based on my own personal antipathy toward the teacher of that course? Under those circumstances, was it truly fair of me to conclude that the subject of that class was inherently grim and unpleasant?

Have I considered the possibility that some faculty member at some college or university I attend in my future might conceivably present the same subject in a style that delighted me throughout?

(108)Which class subject or course did I fear the most during my high school years?

Should I regard that fear of mine as a basis for "no further study of that subject"? Or, instead, should I look upon that fear of mine as an opportunity to atempt to "tackle" that "feared" subject at some future date, even if I might actually be taking mere baby steps toward eventual greater confidence with that subject that might require many years of additional perseverance on my part?

(109) Did I consistently find that I raised my hand in class more often, and I spoke up in class more often, in the high school classes of mine in which I sat close to the front of the classroom?

If so, might this possibly suggest to me the value of my attempting to sit as close as possible to the front of the classroom in the future classes I take during my post-high school years?

(110) Did I chose a college for myself for my future studies based on a demand or request from one of my parents?

Or, instead, did I chose a college for myself for my post-high school years that was based on my own strong personal admiration of and enthusiasm toward that college? If I chose a college based on parental advice, rather than my own preference, could this awareness of mine possibly undermine my level of enjoyment of that college if I actually attend any classes there?

(111) Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on specific aspects of my background? If so, what is the deadline for me to apply for any of those college scholarships?

If I can't meet the deadline for applying for that scholarship this year, could I still qualify for that scholarship if I applied for it next year before the cited annual deadline? Could I qualify for a new scholarship for myself that I'd receive beginning my sophomore year of college?

For instance:
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for with some college or university that would be based on my being a direct descendant of a famous Pilgrim from the Mayflower?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for that would be based on my being a native of Lincoln, Nebraska?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been born in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been born in Nebraska?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having previously resided in the U.S. state of Nebraska?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been born on April 27, or based on astrologers' evaluation of me as being a Cuspal-Type Taurus?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been born on the same day of the year as United States President and former Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having born inside Bryan Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my being the son of a university professor?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my being the son of a botany professor or botany researcher?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my father's membership in various professional organizations, which apparently included the American Association of University Professors and the Botanical Society of America?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my being the son of a full-time professional tax examiner for the U.S. Government's Internal Revenue Service in Austin?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having English or Scottish or German ancestry?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been a member of the National Honor Society at my high school?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been Salutatorian of my graduating class at my high school graduation ceremony?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my pursuit of Spanish as a foreign language that I studied during my high school years?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been a graduate of Eanes Elementary School? Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been a graduate of
O. Henry Junior High School of Austin Independent School District?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having attended a multi-week debate workshop at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having been President of my high school's debate club during my senior year of high school?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having worked as a grocery sacker at Big Bear grocery store near Lake Austin Boulevard one summer?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my being the son of a female adult member of the Boston-based Unitarian Universalist Association?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my father, Dr. Calvin McMillan, having discovered a new botanical plant in New Caledonia that was named after himself?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my being the grandson of an Iowa farmer?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having resided inside the city of Westlake Hills, Texas, throughout my high school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having resided in Travis County, Texas, throughout all of my high school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having resided inside the U.S. state of Texas throughout all of my high school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having graduated from a public high school of Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my choosing to join an alumni association for graduates of Stephen F. Austin High School of Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my father having ever been an elder of the Mormon Church?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my mother having previously been employed as a former full-time employee of the University of California's botanical herbarium in Berkeley, California?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my mother having previously served as President of the Austin League of Women Voters?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my mother's membership in a faculty women's club affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having won a first-place award from the Austin-area chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for a history paper about Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, that I wrote during my fifth-grade year of elementary school?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having won a previous award from a local historical society during my high school years for a historical research paper I wrote about 'The Southern Intelligencer' general-circulation newspaper that was based in Austin, Texas, during the 19th Century?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having written and delivered an oratory speech I earned a first place award for at a local Optimist club event, a speech of mine that fervently opposed widespread prevarication and mendacity and the verbalization of deliberate lies by Americans in modern society?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having never once smoked or ingested any tobacco product at any time during my high school years or before then?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having never once violated the law by myself ever consuming any drinking alcohol at any time during my high school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having never once consumed any marijuana or any other illicit drug on any occasion during my high school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having consistently used clean and non-profane, non-obscene language in all my conversations with others and in all my letters to other persons and all my other writings, for that matter, throughout all of my high school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having never once physically assaulted or hit or struck or physically beaten or pinched or grabbed or pounced on or physically molested or verbally threatened to harm any schoolmate of mine at Stephen F. Austin High School on any occasion during my high school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my fervent opposition to pranks and criminal mischief throughout my high schoool years, accompanied by my own personal refusal to ever participate in any pranks or criminal mischief at any time during my high school years.
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having never been arrested and charged with any crime of any type at any time during my entire youth?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having resided in Berkeley, California, for one year of my elementary-school years?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my being the grandson of a butcher-shop owner in Murray, Utah?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my father having worked in a butcher shop in Murray, Utah, in the 1930s?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for bssed on my father being a member of the University of Utah Alumni Association?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my mother being a member of the University of Iowa Alumni Association?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my maternal grandfather's surname having been "Gardner"?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my maternal grandmother's maiden name having been "Siegling"?
---Are there any college scholarhips I might qualify for based on my paternal grandmother's maiden name having been "Pugh"?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my surname being "McMillan"?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on the fact that my father was born at Murray, Utah?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on the fact that each of my parents had endured and survived the Great Depression financial crisis in the United States during the 1930s?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my father having served in the United States Army during World War II?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on the fact that my mother was born at or near West Branch, Iowa, and inside Johnson County, Iowa?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my mother having been a member of the United Methodist Church in Iowa throughout her youth?
---Are there any college scholarhips I might qualify for based on a hobby or pastime of mine such as helping to raise a miniature French poodle, raising bobwhite quail as pets of mine, writing letters to friends and relatives, my cited interest in government, or my interest in humor-writing?
--Are there any college scholarhips I might qualify for that are for law-abiding and clean-talking and tobacco-free non-Christians?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having a fine attendance record at Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas?
---Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having either never, or only rarely, been cited for tardiness at Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for that are for former members of the Pan American Student Forum student group promoting cultural understanding and dialogue with Latin American nations?
--Are there any college scholarships I might qualify for based on my having collected postage stamps issued and printed by the European nation of Greece for several years of my childhood?

(112) Of the various hobbies and pastimes I pursued during my high school years, did any of those activities for myself offer me what felt to be a truly creative means of self-expression?

(113) Of the various authors and other famous persons no longer living whom I learned about during my high school years, which individual would I most want to have a dialogue with through a "seance session" in which I somehow was able to pose questions to that dead person? Which questions would I want to pose to that individual, and is there any way for me to obtain the answers to my questions through additional biographical research about that individual whom I was intrigued by?

(114) Have I made a point of re-reading all of my diary entries and personal journal entries that I wrote during my high school years? What new insights do I glean about myself, and about others, through a review of those diaries and journals of mine? Also, which journal topics or journal themes do I find to be the useful to me now, with the benefit of hindsight?

(115) Did I make a point during my high school years of asking each of the friends and acquaintances and relatives of mine whom I admire the most to please share with me their birthdate? If so, might that information offer me the marvelous opportunity to send friendly Happy Birthday greeting cards to each of those individuals on an annual basis?

(116) Of the various schoolmates and teachers and administrators of mine at my high school who are not related to me, which individuals most reminded me of one of my relatives? Do I currently keep up with that individual not related to me?

(117) In my conversations with schoolmates of mine during my high school years, which newspaper or magazine that I read on a frequent basis was the publication I was most likely to quote from or refer to in those conversations with other teenage persons? Might I want to subscribe to that publication during my post-high school years?

(118)Have I attempted to find out which newspapers or magazines offer special subscription discounts to individuals who are recent graduates of a high school?

(119) Of the various movies and television shows I watched during my leisuretime in my high school years, which movies and television shows most profoundly influenced my own view of the world or my own philosophy of life?

(120) In which ways did my own "philosophy toward living" change over the course of my high school years?

(121) Did I experience any of the so-called "senior slumps" during my final year of high school? If so, what might I do to avoid experiencing an emotional letdown during my senior year of college, if I plan to attend college in the foreseeable future?

(122) Of the various authors I read in my literature classes during my high school years, which authors appeared to best describe my own living conditions, my own life, and my own self-identity?

(123) Were there any questions I posed to my teacher during my high school years for which I now believe that the answer my teacher offered me was not satisfactory? If so, might this present a grand opportunity for me to pursue some factual research aimed at finding the answer to that question on my own?

(124) Of my various high-school teachers, which teacher offered me the best personal advice on how to protect my own personal safety? For instance, was I particularly impressed by the emphatic statement to my entire class from my high school Advanced Social Studies teacher, Bernie Owen, that it would make good sense for myself and my classmates to each always ride in a motor vehicle large enough in size to protect oneself from being injured in the event of a collision with another motor vehicle?

(125) Did any of my high school teachers invite me to visit inside that teacher's home during my high school years in a context that my parents also agreed to? If so, did it surprise me to note inside the home of my high school English teacher Mrs. Georgianna Sims, that during her leisuretime she subscribed to "Reader's Digest" magazine and owned numerous volumes of "Reader's Digest" digested novels inside her home in north Austin?
Looking back, might that observation inside Mrs. Sims's home have presented me with a grand opportunity to ask my English teacher how she would reconcile her own cited adoration of great literature with extensive editing and condensation of fictional works of literature on the part of "Reader's Digest" editors?

(126) Did I ever meet a college professor or university professor in person for the first time during my high school years? Looking back, shouldn't I have posed some questions to one such university professor, Professor Bulhof, himself a Dutch-born professor employed at the University of Texas at Austin and the father of a debate-squad colleague of mine at my high school, about Professor Bulhof's career in teaching and research?
Shouldn't I have asked Professor Bulfhof to please tell me which aspects of his career as a university professor gave him the greatest enjoyment and emotional fulfillment, a question that might have succeeded in eliciting a smile or a friendly facial expression, at least, from Professor Bulholf?

For that matter, shouldn't I have posed questions to Professor McDonald Smith Sr., during visits of mine to his and his own family's home in Austin, about what might account for the depth of his own cited passion for Italian art and Italian culture? What made Italian art and culture so very, very distinctive and special, in the view of Professor Smith?

(127) During my high school years, did I myself ever directly observe any adult person (if any) whom I myself suspected of being allegedly or possibly capable of committing the sex crime of pederasty? What warning signs (if any) did I observe that prompted me to not trust that adult person?

(128) Did any of my schoolmates during my high school years ever confide to me that a relative or friend or schoolmate or neighbor of theirs had committed suicide?
Did that very sad story prompt me to reflect on ways to instill in myself and others a consistently strong will to live, regardless of whether one's own living conditions were, in fact, grim, during any particular period of one's life?

(129) Did I avail myself of opportunities for posing polite and philosophical-minded questions to parents of my schoolmate acquaintances?

For example:
Did I ever think to pose a polite question to the mother of one of my schoolmates who (that particular mother) always greeted myself and other guests visiting their family's home with a portrait of a nude woman---a portrait hanging inside the living room that immediately faced anyone, including myself, upon entry into the foyer of that married woman's family home in west Austin?

Should my polite question to that mother of a schoolmate of mine have been: "What does this sketch of a nude woman, a work of art that you obviously like quite a bit, signify for yourself as a mother and as a married woman and as an admirer of art? For instance, do you see this work of art that you proudly display in your family's living room as somehow conveying the vulnerability that all human beings experience when we feel as if we are somehow 'naked', an 'Emperor Without Clothes,' so to speak, at a time or in a context when we ourselves have no desire to be observed by anyone else as naked and having no clothes on our own body?"

(130) Have I reflected on each of the "new places" and "new hangout spots" and "new meeting places" I feel comfortable with today that various schoolmates of mine introduced me to or drove me to during my high school years?

Do I currently keep up with any of the schoolmates of mine who introduced me to new places for myself that I liked quite a bit?

(131) Of the various schoolmates of mine whom I got along with the best, did all or nearly all of them have certain personality traits or personal values or other traits that are very important to me? For instance, were each of the classmates of mine whom I got along with the best consistently constructive in their style of communication with myself and others?


(132) Of my various schoolmates at my high school, which individual do I believe would probably make the finest roommate for me in a strictly-platonic personal involvement for me during my college years?

Which personality traits and personal values are particularly striking in that individual from my high school years?

Should these insights I've gleaned from reflection possibly help me as I search for a new roommate for myself at the post-secondary school I'll myself be attending after my graduation from high school?

(133)Which of my teachers at my high school do I think about the most often in a favorable context during my post-high school years? Have I considered writing and mailing a thank-you note to that former teacher of mine?

(134) Do I continue to be haunted, even today as I begin my post-high-school years, by a real-life personal story from a high school teacher of mine that she had shared with myself and my classmates during a classroom lecture from herself one schoolday?

Do I myself still vividly recall, for instance, the poignant real-life story told by Mrs. Huie, an English teacher of mine at Stephen F. Austin High School of Austin Independent School District, about the day in which Mrs. Huie fell unconscious inside her and her husband's home in Austin, Texas?

Was I impressed by Mrs. Huie's cited recollection in front of our entire English class one schoolday that her stepson, Brian, a schoolmate of mine at Stephen F. Austin High School, had been the first to discover Mrs. Huie lying on the floor their family's home in Austin?

What about Mrs. Huie's additional oral statement in her detailed anecdote in front of our entire English class at Austin High---an oral statement she offered with shocked but good-natured incredulity in her tone of voice and facial expression---that her teenage stepson Brian had done nothing to aid Mrs. Huie as she lay unconscious on the cited day?

Didn't Mrs. Huie in that same oral statement in front of my entire English class that schoolday also recall for us that her stepson Brian had responded to her own medical crisis by pursuing his routine leisuretime activities as if Brian had not observed anything out of the ordinary?

Was I particularly moved by Mrs. Huie's oral statement during that same classroom presentation of hers in our high school English class that medical doctors in Austin, Texas, later determined that Mrs. Huie had fallen unconscious inside her and her husband's home on the cited day because of a brain tumor in her body that was "the size of a golf ball," she recalled to us students in front of our entire class, a brain tumor that required prompt medical removal through surgery, she indicated to our entire class.

Was I also greatly impressed by the primary point of Mrs. Huie's story that each of us high school students attending her class that day were reminded by her to please call "911" and seek immediate medical help for anyone they observe lying unconscious on the floor of their family's home?