by Stephanie Palazzolo, senior editor
This past week, I helped out at the annual Student Council lock-in and got to meet the rest of my Health and Safety committee. Three-fourths of the group were freshmen, and as I looked at them, I couldn’t help but remember my own freshman lock-in. The leaders of my committee had been the epitome of upperclassmen stereotypes. Popular, confident, funny, natural leaders, a little intimidating–they were on the last lap of high school and barely seemed out of breath, while I had barely started and was still struggling to tie my shoes. I wondered if I would ever be as self-assured and suave as them. And as I looked back into the eager faces of the freshmen a week ago, I pondered whether they thought the same of me. On one hand, I’m pretty much the same awkward 14-year-old I was two years ago (as my sister loves to remind me), but on the other hand, I have learned a few tips and tricks that would have made my first year of high school a little more bearable. If I could travel back in time and have ten minutes with my former freshman self, I think I would say something along the lines of this:
1. Don’t procrastinate.
Opening that Facebook, Tumblr or Twitter tab might have seemed like a good idea at five p.m., but at one in the morning when the only thing that’s keeping your eyes open is a flat can of Coke? Yeah, not so much. Doing whole projects the night before in middle school is easily manageable, but procrastinating in high school is fatal, even on smaller assignments. My personal saviors are to-do lists (like this one, if you have your laptop open 24/7 like me) and anti-procrastination extensions. Break up projects into smaller sections that you can spread out throughout the week or month. When studying for tests, read over notes or the textbook every weekend, and give them a thorough read through the night before. This way, there’s less of a risk you’ll forget something on the test — and, who knows, maybe you’ll actually remember the information longer than the hour it takes you to complete the exam!
2. High school is a time of milestones. Take them in stride.
I got my first C on a test this year. And guess what? The world didn’t crumble around me, my dreams and aspirations dissipating into dust as I dropped out of school and joined the McDonald’s workforce as their newest fry cook. I spent about ten minutes internally screaming, checked my grades, realized that I could still make an “A” in the class and got over it. There’s going to be those times when bad things happen, whether it’s getting your first detention or bombing a timed writing. Find a bathroom to cry in as you’re overwhelmed with all the pressures and struggles of adolescence (which I totally have never done, haha) and move on. Learn from your mistakes. Realize that you probably won’t even remember eighty percent of the issues you deal with in high school when you’re 30. Now, this doesn’t mean that high school is totally composed of failures with short periods of mediocrity in between. There’s going to be good milestones too. And the bitterness of defeat will only make success taste even sweeter.
3. Upperclassmen are just like you.
Just because I’ve been at Consol for two years doesn’t make me any less clueless than the rest of the school, believe me. I still get lost sometimes when I’m walking to class, and I once found a bathroom that I didn’t even know existed till the last month of school. (Did you know that we have a greenhouse? Yeah, me neither.) We’re just better at pretending we’re not confused about everything. And upperclassmen aren’t the bullies the movies make them out to be. Ninth grade was only 2 or 3 years ago for most of us, and we still totally remember what it’s like to be a freshman. If you need tutoring, just ask. Plenty of upperclassmen will be willing to give you some biology tips. If you’re lost, just ask. No one’s going to pull a “Mean Girls” and tell you that English classes are on the fourth floor. (Because we all know that Consol only has three. *winks*)
4. Do something that you love.
Can you imagine how incredibly boring high school would be if you woke up, went to class, went home, did homework and went to sleep? This is where the clubs and organizations come in. Are you interested in engineering? Join Robotics! Like to write fiction? Well, that’s what the Creative Writers of Consol club is there for. Maybe you’d rather do community service? Student Council meets every Monday. There’s a club or class for almost every interest, and if there isn’t? Grab some of your friends and found your own club! These places are the perfect places to meet people with similar interests, and it’s amazing to learn how many different types of people can have the same hobbies.
5. And last, high school is as fun as you make it.
High school is kind of like your first homecoming dance. It’s not as great as you imagined, people really have no idea what they’re doing (no matter how much it seems like they do), there’s an overabundance of junk food and you just have to try to ignore all the sketchy things going on around you, but in the end, both are as fun as you make it. You can shuffle around awkwardly and groan, “omg this is so lame,” or you can start singing along with “Fancy” and show the rest of your school just how good your “Cupid Shuffle” skills are.
Movies, TV shows and books make high school seem like a pretty scary place, and they’re not that far from the truth. Between drama and grades, it’s easy to get caught up in the worries and stresses of school. But you’re not doing this alone–teachers, parents and classmates are right behind you, cheering you on. And to the freshmen, seniors, and everyone in between: I’m sure you’ll do just fine.
