It’s a big jump from middle school to high school. Navigating all your new classes, extracurriculars, and responsibilities can, at times, feel overwhelming. So, take some advice from someone who has already been through it.
Here are eight things I wish I knew in my freshman year of high school.
Join extracurriculars ASAP
There are so many reasons to join extracurricular activities in high school. They look great on a college application, help you build lifelong friendships and relationships, and, most importantly, help you figure out what you like to do.
Join a few sports teams. Run for student government. Check out the Habitat for Humanity club. The best advice is to try every club, sport, and activity that is intriguing to you. If it turns out that it isn’t a good fit, move on to the next one. There is also a lot of value in finding out what you don’t like!
If you’re shopping around for extracurriculars, check out this article on 36 clubs you could join.
Learn how to study
You want to make sure that you’re doing well in classes, even as early as the first quarter of your freshman year. And the easiest way to set yourself up for academic success is by developing good study strategies.
When it comes to study strategies, there is no universal approach. You need to experiment and find out what works best for you.
Visual learners, for example, may benefit from making flashcards, while auditory learners may retain information best by listening to recordings of lectures, lessons, or classroom discussions. Tactile learners may find it most effective to write or act everything out.
But, no matter your preferred method of studying, you should always make an effort to actively engage your brain, rather than just going through the motions.
If you’re creating a study guide, for example, UNC Chapel Hill’s Learning Center suggests writing down as much as you can from memory before using your notes to fill in the gaps. This will help you better understand what you do and don’t know so that you can focus your studies effectively.
Another good strategy is to try to become a teacher, the Learning Center adds, by teaching the material you’re trying to learn to your friend, parent, or sibling. Metacognition, which is reflectively thinking about what you do and don’t know, is key to making your study efforts effective.
Connect with your teachers and counselors
One of the best things you can do to set yourself up for success in high school is to develop relationships with your teachers and counselors. They are the people who you will go to for help when you’re struggling in a class, having emotional trouble, need assistance with the college application process, or even need someone to write a letter of recommendation.
Consider your mental health
Academics, extracurriculars, and your social life should all take a back seat to your mental health. If you aren’t happy or mentally well, you need to prioritize getting better. And that doesn’t mean sitting on the couch and watching TV because school isn’t fun. You need to speak with your loved ones and counselors to identify the root of your problem so that you can take constructive steps to fix it.
Going from middle school to high school is a transformative time, and transformative times are often accompanied by feelings of stress and anxiety. So, it is always a good idea to check in on yourself.
“Oftentimes, we don’t recognize that we are stressed until we are completely distressed and feeling overwhelmed by it,” Danielle Merolla, a clinical psychologist and the associate director of the Center for Prevention and Outreach at Stony Brook University, told TUN.
To prevent stress and anxiety from creeping up on you, you need to understand what your baseline is, said Merolla. On a day that you’re feeling good, evaluate things like how many hours you slept the night(s) before, what your diet looks like, and how physically active you’ve been. Once you’ve identified your baseline, try to keep those things consistent.
Learn how to bounce back
Throughout high school, you’re going to receive grades that you aren’t happy with. You’re going to slip up in a sporting event. You’re going to get a question wrong on the quiz bowl team. Life is full of missteps, and you need to learn how to bounce back. Learn from your mistakes instead of dwelling on them. Always have the intention of moving forward.
“Failure just feels plain rotten and that’s okay. It’s important to know that just because you have experienced a failure, that doesn’t mean you are a failure,” states a University of Nebraska Omaha blog post.
The most important steps to take following a moment of slipping up are to stay positive and active, to not dwell on the misstep, to try to evaluate what you did wrong, and to learn from your mistake and try again.
Try new things
High school gives you your first taste of freedom. In addition to joining organized extracurricular activities, you should branch out and try new things in your personal and social life as well. Meet new people and explore their interests. Within reason, become someone who says “yes.” As long as the activity doesn’t put you in physical or mental harm, don’t be afraid to try it out.
Start thinking about college early
As a freshman, you shouldn’t worry too much about preparing for the SAT/ACT or any of the specific components of your college application. However, it helps to start thinking about where you want to go to school. That way, you get an idea of what grades you need to make and what classes you need to take.
Start to fantasize about where you want to study and live for four or five years of your life. Begin to look into programs, locations, and schools that interest you. As you move further in high school, your school list should become shorter and molded around your academic scores and interests.
Have fun
With the mounting pressure of doing well in classes, excelling in extracurricular activities, and getting into a good college or university, it can be hard to hard to slow down and enjoy yourself. But it is important to zoom out and remember to have as much fun as you can while you’re in high school.
Amid all of your academic and extracurricular responsibilities, “you also need to have times that you are scheduling breaks and that you’re also scheduling time to just not think about work or anything else but having fun and engaging with others,” explained Dr. Merolla.
Conclusion
All of these tips will help you do well your freshman year and set you up for success throughout high school. However, it is important to remember that you don’t need to do everything by the book. There is a lot of value in the journey. In order to fully develop into a well-educated, successful adult, it helps to make your own decisions and learn to deal with the results.
