When your middle school teachers had a conversation with you about high school it most likely went something like this: “Doing that won’t work in High school.” Or they may have told you something about how high school grades are super important. This can make the transition from middle school to high school scary. I know for me this made me that much more nervous. But don’t worry high school is not scary at all. At first it can be a little intimidating getting used to the layout of the school, managing your workload, or even making friends. But trust me as a high school senior I can say that after a couple of weeks it gets better. Some of you may be reading this article and be thinking I don’t need any advice, I know everything there is. But let me tell you that’s not the case.
One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that high school is not like middle school. This transition from middle school to high school can bring difficulties that require time management. Junior Isabella Brodsky talks about this, saying “I thought it would be really easy. I thought the class would be easy, and they are hard, but you just have to learn how to manage your time.” This is something that even I believed was true during my freshman year but let me tell you that as you move through high school it can get a lot more difficult. This idea is relayed by Senior Ryan Hicks, who confesses, “I wish I had taken my work more seriously as a freshman because my classes were easier then, and I just did the bare minimum. Transitioning to harder classes later on was tough.” Both the experiences from Brodsky and Hicks show that while the initial transition can be easy, it is important to adjust the approach you take to schoolwork to have success in the later years. But don’t worry with a little bit of adjustment high school will become a bit easier.
On the other hand the high school experience is not only the academics, it also involves the clubs and other extracurricular activities. According to Brodosky she recommends joining clubs because “you do a lot of fun stuff with clubs and you can do field trips.” Similarly Senior Emilia Wallace “If you have a sport that you play, look into it for the school. And, if you’re religious, consider joining a Bible study or other related clubs.”. She mentions that there are many different clubs that are there for various interests. Senior Ryan Hicks, on the other hand, advises to join sports and that if you don’t know what to join, join the bigger clubs like DECA and BSU. By participating in these various activities it helps you to make friends but also be able to make a life outside of the regular school academics. This way you are able to create a memorable and meaningful high school experience. I can say first hand that participating in these activities made my high school experience the best it could be.
Ultimately this is not the only advice that you have probably heard so far and not the only advice you will be given. If there’s one thing I would say to take away from this article is that to be open to learning and new experiences, both academically and through the extracurriculars you partake in. There will definitely be moments when high school will be challenging, but with the right mindset and effort you will be able to thrive.