You’ve met everyone in your classes. You know your teachers and their expectations. You memorized where your locker is and its combination. You have all your supplies, books, and student ID (Yes, we know, the picture is awful). What’s next?
Well, since you’re an incoming freshman, you don’t necessarily know what to expect. I mean, how could you? It’s your first year of high school. Even if you have older siblings who gave you the rundown, their experience will vary from yours.
Let’s get it all out on the table then, shall we? High school is nothing like what you have seen in the movies.
You’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to make a lot of mistakes. You’re also going to have rough days where being at school is going to be the last thing you want to do. You might get your first F, or you could tank that speech you had to give in English class.
Someone is probably going to make fun of you. You might get your heart broken once or twice or break a few yourself, or maybe you’ll just break a beaker in chemistry. By now you’re probably thinking high school is going to be a long four years, but you’re wrong.
High school is going to go by faster and faster each day, whether you want it to or not.
What I’m about to say is very cheesy, so bear with me. Do what you enjoy. Plain and simple. Get involved with as much as you can, that way when you’re an upperclassman you have some idea of what you enjoy doing.
There are so many opportunities in high school. You could play a sport, take forensics, join the strategic games club, or even be in slam poetry.
Whatever you do, don’t be the person that joins clubs or gets involved in other activities because it’s what your friends are doing.
High school is where you’re going to grow and find out who you are and what you’re interested in. I’m a junior and my group of friends has definitely changed since freshman year, so don’t base what you want to do off of your friends. Their path is different than yours, and that’s okay.
Don’t forget that other people are learning. Be respectful of how someone else chooses to live out their high school career, because in the end we’re all just trying to make good memories (and pass).
You’re going to excel in something in the next four years, so please, don’t let this article scare you.
Remember how I said you’re going to make mistakes? That wasn’t a lie, you’re going to mess up a lot and that’s fine.
Mistakes are going to help you learn and grow as an individual, and as a student. That being said, don’t regret every little mistake you’ve made. Without them you wouldn’t grow up the way we all do in high school.
If you don’t take anything else away from this piece, at least remember this, it’s all going to be over soon. Be ready.
Patience Jurgens
Reporter
