Well, after four years and 12 total years in school, I can finally say that I am done with it all. I have completed what I can say is the first step in a long, fruitful life. You freshmen, however, are just getting started with your last step in a much larger leap.
When I was a freshman all those years ago, I got so caught up in the sheer number of students here at the high school. It overwhelmed me and because of that, I didn’t ever come out of my shell that first year. Don’t become overwhelmed. We are all trying to get through high school just as you.
Get out of your comfort zone earlier than I did. I didn’t join a club until my senior year. Albeit I did a lot of extracurricular activities with the classes I took, I still wished I had joined some non-involved groups. It will help you newcomers to the school. Getting involved in such activities will not only look good to colleges but will also help you feel more comfortable being at school in general.
Before I say anything else, yes homework is pretty trash and it sucks most of the time. In my personal experience, most of the homework I got felt like busy work. With that being said, give your teachers a break. 99% of your teachers will be genuine in their attempt to teach you something valuable. They do a lot not only during school but also so much more in their spare time outside the classroom. So please, from me to you, cut the teachers some slack. If you really have to, pretend to like the class so it is a little easier on them.
While on the subject of you teachers, it can be very beneficial for you to be in their good graces. No, I am not saying to be a teacher’s pet, a lot of the time the teachers get annoyed with them. It can be to your benefit just to talk with them. Shoot the breeze, ask how their day was, things like that. Your teachers are humans too, with lives outside of school that not a lot of people ever see. Just talking with your teachers can form a better relationship that can make your life as a student a little better. None of us want to go to class but if it is with a teacher you like, it is a tad better.
My last piece of advice is to enjoy your time at the high school. Try to have fun in the times that you can. These are the last couple of years that you have before you enter a much bigger world. A world that will make the high school look pretty small. Those who say that they have “plenty of time” before that happens are dead wrong. Pretty soon, you will be starting senior year remembering how you started high school. So enjoy the new experiences and the new, potential friends you meet everyday. Your high school career is what you make of it so make it great.
