By Amanda Tran
In middle school, everyone got along with each other, teachers still held your hand to help guide you in the right direction and the highlight of your day was recess. But all of that changes when you enter an entirely different world- high school.
Its time to start over; build new relationships with new friends and teachers, make a name for yourself and most importantly, discover something that you did not even know about yourself before. As you enter through the doors of what may seem like the biggest building you’ve ever seen, don’t forget:
· Do not be afraid to ask questions. If you have a question about anything, do not hesitate to ask! You might not be the only one with a question and no one will look at you differently if you do ask. It’s the snowball effect- if you don’t ask questions now, you become confused and for every day you do not clear it up, it gets worse so ask now and save yourself the stress and confusion.
· Stay organized. Buy a planner or a notebook with a calendar. Yes, it may seem “dorky” at first but you’ll have the last laugh when all your friends are having a hard time remembering when and what was due.
· Do not procrastinate! Ask any upperclassman about procrastination and they will all tell you the same thing- don’t do it. The earlier you start something, the sooner you finish and less stress that you have to deal with.
· Choose your friends wisely. Be careful with whom you choose as a friend. You might think you know someone but they can be your worst enemy if you’re not smart and cautious.
· Get involved. Becoming involved in sports, clubs or organizations in the school will most definitely make high school a more pleasant experience. Not only will you have fun doing something you love but it’s a great chance to meet new people.
· Stay positive. As you continue on with your high school career, it will get harder and as it does, the most important thing to remember is to stay positive. Not only does being optimistic help you get through the roughest times, it can reduce the amount of stress that you’ll inevitably get. There will be days where you will be completely overwhelmed but if you stop to think about being optimistic, the stress, believe it or not will seem to disappear.
· Respect your peers and teachers. Just because you’ve moved out of middle school does not mean you can forget about the rules they taught you there. “Treat others the way you want to be treated” is still one of the most appreciative rule there is, even if there aren’t a million posters tacked on every wall to remind you.
· Enjoy your first year. This is probably the most important thing you should never forget. As you know, the one thing everyone can say about high school was that it was over as soon as it began. Every year after this one goes by so fast and by the time you know it, you’re ready for your cap and gown. Make every single year count, starting with this one.
Finally, the last bit of advice- be aware of failures. Not every single student will pass with flying colors but in order to be successful, you must not be afraid to fail. Middle school is a different league than high school. Not everyone will get a good grade or become successful but it’s important that you know that. In middle school, teachers were there for you to guide you through every little step of the way. They were there to catch you if you fell but teachers in high school will not prevent you from falling but they will help you back up after you fall. High school is a place where you get to explore to find out what you want in life and you discover things about you, people and the world that you never knew before. So be ready for the four most important years of your life and always remember that high school is what you make it.
