As I come to my last few months of my senior year at Hillcrest, I’ve sat back and reflected on my time here and how I’ve grown and changed. I think about all the ups and downs, the good and bad times, the obstacles I’ve overcome, and how my experience has helped me prepare for the future ahead. Very often people have misconceptions about high school and what to expect, but I’m here to let you know that high school is what you make it and also provide tips on how I’ve survived thus far.

We all know how it can be scary to come into a new environment with new people. High school is a place of new opportunities and memories. Coming into high school, it was a big deal for me since freshmen are considered the children of the school in a way. One thing I was glad about was starting my freshman year with my best friends I graduated middle school with. It’s always good to have people by your side coming into new settings and situations. Surprisingly, the saying that you won’t have the same friends from the beginning to the end of high school is a lie because the same friends I entered high school with are the same friends I am leaving with. I never believed my parents and big sister when they told me high school would fly, but believe me when I say that was far from a lie. I know a lot of people want to grow up so fast and get high school over with, but in all actuality, you should enjoy every moment of it because after high school, reality hits you like a truck.

Creating a strong foundation when you begin high school is so important. This lays the foundation for your high school road ahead. Join as many clubs as possible, but make sure you keep a stable balance between your school life, social life, and mental well-being. While high school can be really fun, it can also be very hard. There are going to be days where you want to give up and just completely quit, but the best way to manage stress is to get extra help. There is nothing wrong with asking the teacher for extra help, asking your friends, or even getting tutoring outside of school. This has helped me significantly throughout high school. Other ways to manage stress are to meditate, workout, or vent. 

Through high school, I’ve made sure to join as many school activities as I possibly could manage. Some of these things are: volleyball, majorette, yearbook, student council, executive board, National Honors Society, junior leadership, African Student Association and much more. All of these organizations helped me grow as a person and meet some really great people along the way. Networking is something that can help you not only in high school, but in life in general. Having connections to a vast variety of people can take you a long way.

Procrastination is something you want to avoid at all cost. I had to learn that the hard way, of course. The patterns you begin with are the habits that will stay with you. If you slack on homework, don’t study for tests, or procrastinate on projects you are in for a rude awakening. 

Freshman year is all about building a foundation, sophomore year is about continuing that foundation while also getting prepared for the real hardships, junior year is solely based on SAT and colleges and senior year is solely based on college or what you plan on doing after high school. This is how my years went for me, but your experience is sure to be different from mine.

High school is what you make it. You determine if these will be the best years of your life and the most memorable or if they’ll be the most stressful years. The most important thing to remember is to stay true to yourself. Don’t be a follower. Be the person that other people can look up to and want to be like.

Be someone who is remembered.

TIPS:

• DON’T procrastinate (this will benefit you so much!)
• Join clubs, activities, sports, and organizations
• Meet new people and network 
• Create a strong foundation ( Do well during your freshman year)
• BE YOURSELF
• Create/join study groups
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Have fun most importantly(high school really flies by)