I remember the first day of high school: brand new school, brand new hallways, and brand new people. I will admit it was scary: looking around at the walls that would define my next four years of existence, I knew that I would change in unthinkable ways, and I hated change.
But change I did, for the better and for the worse.
Now, going into senior year, I can’t believe how far I have come and how quickly life took me here. I mean, just four years ago I still lived in my old apartment, went to the same school as my best friend, and swore off makeup until college. But after thousands of tears, sleepless nights, AP tests, and club meetings, I am extremely proud of the person I turned out to be. So, for any freshman entering high school for the first time or any other scared student, here is my handbook for surviving high school, making new friends, preventing academic burnout, and prioritizing your health! Or, in a nutshell, everything I wish I knew before going into high school.
- Don’t overthink when meeting new people.
My biggest tip for making new friends is extremely simple: always have a smile on your face and don’t be judgemental! Treat everyone as your maybe-next-best-friend, and start conversations just by simply asking a question about a class you share. Just don’t overthink. Humans are social creatures! So whatever you want to say, just let it come naturally and don’t make it sound rehearsed. The best friendships are those where you can’t even remember how you became friends!
- Challenge yourself, but know your limits.
Look, high school is going to be hard. If it were a breeze, no one would be reading or writing this blog. The teachers assign lots of homework and the AP classes have even more. But do not shy away from the “hard” classes, you can do it! Even if it's just one difficult class, putting time into academic efforts can be extremely rewarding. However, be careful not to fall off the deep end: while getting good grades is an important achievement, there is so much more to life. Hang out with your friends, be a part of clubs you are interested in, and show school spirit at football and homecoming games!
- Build good habits.
If you are a freshman, I cannot stress this enough. The first year of high school will be relatively easy, so this means that it is the perfect time to build habits that you will be able to stick to when the workload gets really hard. For example, figure out what type of learner/studier you are: do you work better with visuals? Perhaps active recall is your jam, or maybe it’s just simply making flashcards through Quizlet! Another example, incorporating exercise and a healthy diet into your daily routine! Keeping up with a healthy lifestyle is much easier than starting one.
- Lastly, take advantage of EVERY opportunity.
Don’t be a homebody! I understand, my social battery runs out very quickly, but there is a stigma surrounding how “social” a person is: most people believe that it’s an innate, natural talent, but it really is just a muscle! The more you use it, the stronger it gets. So join all the clubs that interest you, try out for that team, go to the games, take fun electives like orchestra or theatre, and go crazy at all the dances!
High school may seem like an impending fate that you aren’t ready to take on yet, but let me tell you a little secret: no one is ever really ready. Change just happens, but paradoxically, it happens slowly. You won't even notice how far you’ve come until you look back! Kind of like a long-running TV show where the characters get older and older but you don’t notice until you go back and watch the first episode. The days are long but the years are short. Cherish every moment and realize that you will get through everything high school throws your way. I know you’ll be proud of how far you’ve come in the next four years.