The transition from middle school to high school can be extremely overwhelming and nerve racking for freshman. Nobody knows what to expect or what they are doing. There were a lot of things I wished I knew when I started my freshman year that could have helped me have a smoother first year of high school.

1.  Never procrastinate. As soon as you get a big project, start doing a little bit of it every night until it’s due. In high school, the homework load is much more intense, so homework is going to pile up quickly. If you try to do a big project the night before it’s due, chances are you won’t do that well because you’ll have too much homework to put all your effort into your project.
2. If you have a tutorial, take advantage of it. As fun as it is to use tutorial as a time to relax, it’s much easier just to get your homework out of the way. By doing your homework in tutorial, it will give you plenty of time to do whatever you want when you get home from school.

3. Join clubs or sports. If you’re really interested in a specific subject or sport that is available at South, join. Chances are you will make friends with people that have the same type of interests as you.

4. Don’t go overboard with your schedule. If you try to take all of the hardest classes you can, but you’re probably going to overwhelmed quickly. Try to take an elective that is less stressful like an art or computer class.

5. Don’t be afraid to get help from teachers. If you’re really struggling with a subject, talk to or email your teacher about coming into their classroom before or after school to get some extra help. Teachers have been in your position before too, and they understand what you’re going through. It’s better to get more help than to keep doing poorly in a class.

6. Stay organized. As long as you keep track of all your homework and notes, you will be perfectly fine. If you struggle with being organized, get a planner where you can write down what homework you have, or put dividers in your binder to help you keep your notes and homework for each class together.

7. If you’re really behind on your homework or studying, find a teacher’s room to go to or go to the library during lunch. This is a great way to stay ahead or on track with your classes. You will have less distractions doing homework in a classroom or the library than in the cafeteria or the Student Commons.

8.  Make new friends. As tough as it is to put yourself out there sometimes, freshman year is a great time to meet new people. Introduce yourself to people that are in your classes, and ask them questions about themselves. The more friends you make, the better your high school experience will be.

9.  Participate in school events. Things like homecoming  and football games are a great way to go out and have fun with your peers. It is also a great way to support your school.  

10. Relax and make it memorable. High school isn’t all about studying and getting good grades, it’s also about making memories with your friends that you’re going to remember forever.