Entering high school can be a nerve-wracking experience, but remember you're not alone! Everyone goes through this same rite of passage. To help calm your nerves and ensure you start off on the right foot, follow these five tips for your freshman year.
1. Get involved
You only have four years in high school, so get involved right away! Find a new club, try a new sport or join a new organization like DECA! High school is full of opportunities to meet new people, discover new passions and try new things. By getting involved at the beginning of your freshman year, you open the door to limitless opportunities in leadership, friendships and experiences during your high school career!
2. Make it count
Make sure you take freshman year grades seriously. Your high school GPA starts the first day of your freshman year and follows you until the last day of your senior year, so start strong! You may not be thinking about college during your freshman year, but that will change soon enough. You do not want to have negative freshman grades haunting your GPA on your future college applications. To avoid this, make sure you remember that freshman year counts!
3. Manage your time
Time management is key to a successful high school experience! Freshman year can get busy in a hurry. By developing good time management habits, you will save yourself from a lot of stress. Writing in a planner or typing out a to-do list is a great way to stay on top of your work and manage your time.
4. Ask questions
Your first year of high school is the beginning of a whole new experience! You are on a new campus (or navigating a whole new virtual world), have new classes and are surrounded by new opportunities… Your mind is bound to be flooded with questions. Don’t be afraid to ask! Your teachers and upperclassmen were all once freshmen as well, so don’t hesitate to use them as resources!
5. Get to know your teachers
Getting to know your teachers freshman year (and every year) is key to being successful in high school. By building relationships with your teachers you are building a network of support for yourself on campus. This network can assist you in academics and serve as mentors for extracurricular activities. They will help you find success during your four years in high school!
