Dear Incoming Freshmen:

So high school is finally coming to an end for me, and I just thought I’d share some advice, some things I wish people would have told me before starting high school. Actually, this isn’t just for freshmen, it’s for anyone really who needs some guidance.

Tip #1 Getting involved. This is actually a tip that I kind of naturally did when I started high school. Getting involved gives you the opportunity to meet new people that share the same interests as you. I met most of the friends I have now in the clubs that I joined as a freshman. My main activity was the flag team,  I bonded with those girls and made close friends because I had spent most of my time with them, so we just became friends over time. So I say join activities you have an interest in, and you’ll most likely develop friends from there.

Tip #2 Understanding that people change. This is something that I had to really learn in high school. You know the saying “The friends you go in with won’t be the ones you come out with”? That’s big facts. It may not even be because you and your friend had a bad falling out, it’s just that you’re growing up now and becoming more of the person you want to be, and you may not share the same values as the friends you had in middle school. After I graduated 8th grade, I didn’t believe that I and my group of friends would stop talking, because we were like sisters; we had known each other since the 3rd grade. Then high school started and we slowly drifted apart until it got to the point where we don’t talk anymore. We all have different lives now. I realized that most of us were only friends because we had seen each others faces every single day all day for 5 years. Out of the 6 friends that were in my little circle I only talk to 2 of them. But that’s okay, because I also have a different life now. So the sooner you understand that people change, and that you will change as well because you are growing up, the better off you’ll be. Trust me.

Tip #3 Now this one is for the actual freshmen. No one likes you. I know it sounds harsh, but the tip in that sentence is to not act like a freshman. If you want to know why people don’t like freshmen it’s because I guess it’s when you were in 8th grade you all “ran the school” because you were the oldest and you all still have that mentality. You all are loud and just immature as a whole class. So just don’t be one of those freshmen. My freshman year, I had a class with upperclassmen and none of them believed I was a freshman because I didn’t act like one. I wasn’t immature or loud or annoying. So yeah, if you want people to like you don’t be obnoxious.

Tip #4 Your freshman year does matter. Even though it may be the easiest school year, that doesn’t mean slack off because when senior year roles around and you’re applying for college and you have to send in your transcripts from every school year, you’re going  to be salty because your freshman year grades aren’t going to be all that great.

Tip #5 Don’t wait until the last minute to start thinking about college . I know you’re probably like, “Dang, can I get to high school first before I think about college?” Well, yeah, you can, but before you know it, 4 years have gone by and you have no idea what you want to do or where you want to go in life. And I know no one has an exact plan for their whole life even though they may think they do, but it’s a good thing to at least have an idea. You have so many options on what you can do after high school, and it wouldn’t hurt you to just look into things to see what you may want to do.

Tip#5 Live your life. I know I just told you to focus on your future, but you’re 14 years old, this is the time to make mistakes, and learn from them. Go to football games and basketball games, and homecomings, and pep rallies.  Have school spirit. Because whether you like it or not, this is your home for the next 4 years, and these kids are your family. So laugh and have fun during homecoming week, because you’ll only have 4 and that’s not nearly enough.