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During my first week of high school, I wasn’t shoved into a locker, made fun of or hazed in any way.
However, just because you can walk the halls without fear of being ambushed by upperclassmen, doesn’t mean high school is a walk in the park.
Despite how much fun you will have in high school, there will also be a lot of stress, a lot of work and a lot of drama. Here are just a few ways to get through high school in one piece:
Make Good Friends — The most important thing throughout high school will be your friends. Parents may disagree, placing grades at top priority, but your friends will actually help you keep your grades up. If you’re always around people who are motivated and driven, chances are you will be too. However, what friends are really crucial for is keeping you grounded. Find people you truly get along with, people who care about you and are there for you, people you can have fun with. A core group of reliable friends will help make high school enjoyable rather than just bearable.
Take It Seriously — Don’t get me wrong. Grades are important. The fact is, whether you agree or not, every grade counts. I refused to make any real effort in P.E. my sophomore year and ended up with two Bs, which I regret sorely today for bringing down my grade point average. If you want the opportunity to go to a good college, you have to really try to learn what high school teaches you. That means even if you want to go to art school, do your best in math class, because top grades will help you gain admission to that school. Plus, a large part of life is about learning. Even if you don’t plan to make a career out of a certain subject, you have to take it, so you might as well actually try to learn the material. Who knows when it will come in handy.
Explore — While all of these things are key for high school, you may find yourself wondering what the purpose of high school is in the first place. After four years at RHS, I believe high school serves as the first step on the road to self-discovery. By taking math and science classes, I learned my weaknesses. By taking English courses, I confirmed my passion.
By participating in extracurricular activities such as Keystone Club, Spanish Club, cross country and band, I discovered countless things about myself, such as what I want to do with my life and the kind of person I want to become. So get involved. Not only will you meet people with similar interests, but you’ll learn more about your own interests, which can grow into future careers. You’ll also have fun and gain fantastic opportunities, such as traveling or performing. And, though not even the most important part, it looks good to be “well-rounded,” as college admissions officers say.
So don’t be scared, nervous or worried. Just keep your head on your shoulders and your eye on the prize — you’ll do just fine.
A Few More Tips:
• Keep a map of the school with you (usually given out at orientation) and mark each of your classes.
• Buy and use a student agenda to stay organized.
• Attend freshman orientation to learn your way around the school.
• Take advantage of your counselors when choosing classes.
• Remember, high school is what you make it.
