The end of 8th grade year is a very exciting time for most new teens. It is the end of an era. The school year to come is an opportunity to reinvent yourself. High school is chance for a new beginning. Even if you are going to school with people you went to junior high with, everyone starts in the same place. This experience is new and unknown for every freshman. This is a time to experiment with who you are and try new things to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. However, from personal experiences, I can assure any incoming freshmen that there are certain situations you should avoid.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, drama is defined as “an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances.” I can guarantee you that no matter what high school you go to, there will be enough drama to out-do a play by Shakespeare. I would say that depending on what type of person you are, within the first semester you will experience some type of drama. My main advice that I would give is to avoid it at all cost. All drama does is get you distracted from the main purpose of high school which is to further your education. While in the moment, it may seem as though feeding into the chaos makes sense, but – trust me – it doesn’t. Starting problems with someone over a high school relationship is pointless because more than likely that relationship is not going to last. If someone who was your friend at the beginning of freshman year does something that friends shouldn’t do, let it go because most friendships end in high school anyways. All in all, drama is a huge part of the high school experience but without it your four years will go by a lot smoother, at least I know mine probably would’ve.

Another issue that is likely to arrive in the next adventure full four years of your life is time management. In junior high, the classes were easier, the homework probably took you an hour to do, and you probably did most of your projects in class. In high school, however, it is a completely different story. You will likely have to write the longest essays of your life up to this point. You will have to read books that not only do you not understand but that also bore the life out of you. If you are thinking that your teachers will care that you have a sixteen page essay due in less than a week and three tests coming up in other classes, you are sadly mistaken. They are not going to lighten their lesson plans because your workload is piling up. On top of all this, you likely want to maintain a social life. Therefore, time management is the golden key. If you don’t want to have a mental breakdown at the end of every quarter, I suggest you start doing your assignments as soon as you get them and learn to space out your workload.

The last, and probably most important, tip that I want to share with you is to have fun and be a kid. High school is a very stressful time. You’re going through changes both physically and mentally. You are going to be introduced to people with personalities you’ve never experienced before. The work is going to be harder and people are going to expect more out of you. However, take advantage of these next four years. They are the last four of you being a child. Make mistakes, new friends, and experience. Go to as many school events as you can because these four years are going to go by extremely fast and soon you won’t have the excuse of being a child anymore. High school is the time to discover yourself. Try to find out who you are as a person or who you want to be. Try new things and don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone (while still being responsible of course).

These can be the worst four years of your life, and you can have a ton of fun. As hard as high school can be, take heed to my few tips and you’ll enjoy yourself.