Hello everyone!

Today I am going to be giving you guys some tips on a few things you should do before summer ends to prepare for the school year. I know it’s daunting and no one really wants to think about going back to classes and homework yet, but it’s best to start preparing early. A couple of these things may be obvious; just think of this list as your back-to-school checklist.

• Go back-to-school shopping!! This is one of the more obvious ones I was referring to; make sure you get all of the supplies and new clothes that you need. All the displays are out, so now’s as good a time as any to get out there and start shopping for the best deals. Check out your local mall for back-to-school season sales- if there’s an outlet mall nearby, that’s even better. Also, make sure to look at the summer clothes that will be going out of season; they’re most likely on sale as well, and if you live in a warmer area like me, you can still wear those styles well into fall.
• Organize / clean your room – It’s super important when you’re working to have a neat space. You’ll definitely have a lot more time now than during the school year to re-organize everything the way you would prefer; make sure to deep clean your room as well by vacuuming, dusting, cleaning mirrors with Windex, etc. Throw away unnecessary papers and such from last school year if you haven’t already, and spruce up your space with some room decor that will make it more home-y if that’s something you’re interested in.
• Purge your closet – You have to make room for those new back-to-school clothes! Try everything on and donate/sell/throw away (based on the condition the items are in) things that don’t fit you anymore or that you know you won’t wear. If you’re planning on donating, donate to non-profits such as womens’ shelters or your local Boys and Girls Club rather than Goodwill. If you’re planning on selling, use apps like Poshmark that make it easy to ship clothing items out.
• Check off as many last summer bucket list items as you can – Binge watch that last season of a Netflix show, go to the beach one last time, have a barbecue with your friends, take a weekend road trip to the nearest city or cool town; do whatever it is you wanted to do this summer but haven’t had the chance to already. Make the most of the time you have left- plus, if you’re busy, you won’t have time to worry about school looming in the distance.
• Catch up on correspondance with friends, extracurricular activities, emails, etc. – Kudos to you if you’ve been doing this throughout the summer on your own already! However, I know in the summertime we’re more likely to lose touch with people and forget these things. Reach out to the friends you never ended up hanging out with this summer, make sure you know when your school activities and sports start up again as well as their corresponding schedules, and respond to any important emails/social media messages. Update your calendar or planner with any important dates (school orientation included!) and add to it as other things come your way. The beginning of the school year is a busy time and your schedule will fill up again very quickly, so make sure you’re aware of your commitments and keeping up with when everything is happening.

Hopefully this list helped you guys out and inspired you to start getting ready for the school year! Remember to enjoy the remnants of your summer vacation and try not to stress too much about what’s to come- stay in the present as much as possible. I will be posting more back-to-school content as we draw closer to the end of summer, so let me know if you have any requests. I also have a few more summer posts coming- I leave Monday for cheer camp at Knott’s Berry Farm with my high school cheer team, and I plan on writing about my experiences there.

-Brooke

Welcome back everyone!

Today I’m here with more school advice for you all. I realized I’ve been posting a lot of school content more focused towards high school students; however, I have some advice for any incoming middle schoolers out there as well. My brother is going into sixth grade and has been asking me for advice, so this is a topic I’ve been considering writing about anyways. My middle school days are behind me and I don’t have the clearest memory, but they were honestly some really fun years! I definitely learned a lot (after making a lot of mistakes!) and matured from the beginning of sixth grade to the end of eighth, but time seemed to fly by and the whole experience definitely wasn’t as scary as I initially thought.

Here are some tips that will hopefully make your transition into this new and exciting chapter of your life smoother:

• Do your best not to worry too much going in – I was freaking out before my first day of sixth grade. I psyched myself out and it just made it that much harder once I actually got to school; at first I was a stressed-out mess, but once I got through my first couple days and realized it wasn’t so bad, I was fine. I could’ve saved myself a lot of stress if I went in with a more positive attitude rather than a nervous wreck one.
• You don’t need that much as far as supplies – No longer are the days where you bring a 64-pack of crayons to school everyday! Unless your teachers specifically say so, you won’t need any coloring supplies and extras like that; even if they do say so, you will most likely sparsely use them and there will usually be a class set for everyone to use as well.
• No one cares what you wear besides the faculty – By this, I mean that no one is judging your clothes except the school staff dress code monitors. The dress code was extremely strict at my middle school (which is funny because dress code is non-existent at my high school) and constantly enforced. Make sure to follow the rules, but don’t freak out too much about them; you’ll learn what you can get away with eventually.
• Attend actual orientation and any optional orientation-type events – Take every opportunity to get acquainted with the school! My middle school had a normal orientation and a separate optional day where you could come and older kids would mentor you, showing you around. I highly recommend going to events like this because you’ll just get more comfortable and meet more people.
• Study a map – You most likely won’t get lost (your school is probably a lot smaller than it seems, you’ll see once you get used to it), but it’s still good to be prepared in advance. As soon as you get your schedule, look at the map and figure out where all of your classrooms are and find a possible pathway you can take to get everywhere.
• Talk to as many new people as possible – I’m a naturally shy person so I didn’t do this as much as I probably should have, but just try and go out of your comfort zone as much as you can. There are most likely going to be tons of people you’ve never met before; don’t look at this as scary, look at it as a great opportunity to make lots of new friends! Be friendly to everyone- you never know, others could be even more nervous than you are.
• Friend groups are definitely going to change – This is a huge one. Some people make friends at the beginning of the year quickly and a new group is formed, some people take a bit longer to make friends (getting to know people in their classes and forming friendships over time), and some people stay with their elementary school group for a bit. Whichever category you fall into, that’s completely fine! Just know that by the end of the year, the social situation will definitely be different- a lot can happen in a year, and it’s okay (and expected!) that you may not be in the same group.
• It’s okay if you don’t have classes with your friends – I was freaked out on my first day of school when I realized I didn’t have any classes with my best friend. And you know what? We spent every lunch period just talking and catching up, and we were completely fine! Don’t stress if you think you’re going into your classes alone; you’ll just meet more people that you can befriend and then introduce to your other friends!
• Memorize your bell schedule – This will come naturally with time if you have a decent memory, and it’s a great thing to do. My school personally had multiple different schedules (normal, rally/assembly, minimum day Tuesdays, and most Wednesdays/Thursdays with a 30 minute study hall at the end of the day) so it took me a while to adjust to the rhythm of a full week, but you’ll get there in no time. Just figure out when each period starts and ends so you have a handle on when you need to be in class and so you can tell your parents when to pick you up depending on the day’s schedule. It’s also helpful because at the beginning of the year people will constantly be asking, “When does this period end?” and you can answer!
• Be prepared for nasty bathrooms – Maybe some schools take care of their bathrooms, but I feel like they’re always going to be pretty nasty, especially if you’re at a public school. Definitely go to the bathroom in the morning before you leave so you have a lesser chance of having to use the school bathroom. You’ll have to eventually, but I would avoid it as much as possible. On the bright side, since no one wants to use them, there’s usually never a line!
• Pick out meeting spots with your friends for before school, lunch, and after school – This will save you some stress in frantically searching to find your friends. Choose a general spot or area to meet, and eventually you’ll probably have a table that you usually sit at in the morning/at lunch. For after school, it will probably be different. There was a Starbucks right across the street from my middle school, so my friends and I would meet at the corner and walk across and go there to get picked up most days.
• Only go to your locker when absolutely necessary – This will make it easier to get around and you won’t have to worry as much about being late. Like I said before, you don’t need tons of supplies; you should be able to divide your stuff into one large load or two medium size loads. Obviously do what makes the most sense for you; if you have a lot of stuff and your locker is super close to all your classes, it will work out fine to go to your locker between each class. Just consider how much stuff you have and how much time you have to get to class.
• Do your own thing- it doesn’t matter what others think – This is super important!! I thought going into middle school there would be this huge social hierarchy and I would have to keep myself in line- I have no idea where I got that from. Once people make new friends and settle into their groups, everyone kind of keeps to themselves. If your friends are genuine and you’re not doing anything bad or wrong, no one should care what you’re doing/wearing. I promise you, no one is going to care- if they do, that’s their problem.
• Go to outdoor school – I’m not sure if all schools do this, but the schools in my area send sixth graders to an outdoor camp somewhere (usually close to the beach since I live in California) for a few days. There’s some educational value but it’s also just fun because instead of sitting in class, you’re out hiking and stargazing! I was scared to leave home and go, but I promise lots of other people are in the same boat and once you’re there you’ll all be fine. It’s a great bonding experience with friends and if you end up hating it, you can always go home early.
• Respect your teachers – I don’t know why, but lots of people in my middle school classes thought it was funny to make rude comments and jokes about the teachers, or talk back to them. I would strongly advise against doing this; it’s only going to get you in trouble and make you look bad. Be kind to your teachers- they’ll love you for it!
• Seek help when you need it – If you’re struggling in classes or just with the adjustment to middle school, ask for help! Stay after class or come in at lunch to the teacher’s classes you’re struggling in and ask questions. Some teachers may even be able to find you a free peer tutor. If you’re just having a hard time with adjusting to the new environment, talk to your counselor or a teacher that you trust. You’re never alone; there’s lots of people who can help you.
• Take honors classes as soon as possible – Obviously do what’s best for you and only what you think you can handle, but I would start taking higher level courses as soon as they’re available to you. This puts you on track to take honors/AP classes sooner in high school; people who don’t take any of the available honors courses in middle school will usually have a harder time getting into the honors courses in high school. If that’s the direction you want to go in, start now! It will make it easier on you and it won’t be too intense at first; it will ease you into a harder workload and prepare you for high school.
• Choose your electives (and all classes) wisely, especially in eighth grade – This has to do with my last point, but choosing your electives and other classes will set you up for what courses you can take in your freshman year of high school. Electives are especially important because they’re usually extracurricular-type things you can explore further out of school or in high school; if you like to sing and your school has a choir, join it! If you’re in choir throughout your middle school years, you can easily get in a higher level high school choir. Choose things that seem interesting to you- even if you end up not loving it, it will still be a learning experience. Who knows? You may find your passion. Also, they can help you get ahead on credits for high school; my school offered Spanish 1 in eighth grade, so I took it and was able to go into Spanish 2 freshman year of high school which helps a lot.
• Try something new; don’t be afraid! – Middle school is probably the first time so many options of courses, electives, and other activities will be available to you. I made the mistake of not really joining anything because I was overwhelmed and didn’t know what activities I would fit into. I did choir in sixth grade as my elective, but that was it. If something interests you, go for it! Don’t worry about who else is doing it or what others will think. Get as involved as you can – it will enrich you and prepare you for balancing activities with schoolwork in high school.
• Keep your locker and P.E. locker neat/clean, but don’t go overboard with decorations – I remember I wanted to have the perfect locker in sixth grade. I got locker wallpaper, wall canisters, a carpet, and even a mini chandelier. If you really want to go all out in decorating your locker, more power to you! However, I quickly learned that it was really more of a pain; the decorations take up lots of space and fall frequently (my very overpriced chandelier broke after a week!), and you’ll probably end up taking them out within the first month of school. Having a locker shelf is good because it gives you more space, and a carpet can be good if the bottom of your locker is really nasty, but other than that I would just keep it minimal and leave more room for your stuff. Similarly, some people went all out with their P.E. lockers; they brought extra outfits to change into and keep in their locker, makeup bags filled with tons of toiletries. Again, if you want to do this, that’s completely fine! However, there’s usually not much room in a P.E. locker and you normally don’t have that much time to change, so you may not end up using any of that stuff. I would recommend bringing deodorant, a hairbrush, and maybe dry shampoo and chapstick, but that’s it.
• Remember to wash your P.E. clothes!! Also, only once a week is fine – I admit to forgetting this crucial step a lot. Make sure you have a bag to bring your clothes home every Friday and bring them back every Monday – they will get very stinky and gross if you don’t. Some girls tried to bring their clothes home to wash every other day, but I don’t recommend that. You’ll end up forgetting and leaving them at home one day, and even though it’s more sanitary it’s still not needed.
• Enforce good study habits now, but also remember middle school grades don’t matter – I agonized over every assignment, test, and grade in middle school. Now that I’m in high school, my middle school grades were nothing but proof I could enter honors classes; they don’t matter at all, whereas high school grades do. I’m glad that I worked hard in middle school because good grades have always been important to me and it prepared me for the classes I’m in now, but I really didn’t need to stress so much over it. Learn how to study and what methods work for you, but don’t spend too much time worrying about school or the future.
• If possible, pack a lunch everyday – School food is usually gross and not worth the money. Bring your own lunch with maybe a couple snacks- you might be allowed to eat in certain teachers’ classes. If you don’t have time or forget a lunch, the school food will do; you’ll figure out which food items are better than others.
• Bring a reusable water bottle – This is very important on both a practical level and an environmental one!! First of all, it’s just better to use a reusable bottle than a plastic one. Second, your school will most likely have a station where you can refill the bottle throughout the day. This way you’ll always have water with you and you can stay hydrated!
• Go to school dances, field trips, events, etc. – Middle school will usually be your first exposure to school dances, which is very exciting!! They’re usually not as formal as it seems in the movies; everyone just wears whatever unless someone says otherwise or there’s a theme. However, they are tons of fun and there’s usually good snacks as well. Try and go to every dance and other event (my school had movie nights, a carnival, etc.) with your friends if you can; it makes for great memories and will just make you feel more involved in the school.
• Avoid drama like the plague – It seriously is just a waste of time and energy. Talk things out with people if you have a problem; don’t talk behind people’s backs, it always ends badly and you never know who can overhear or find out. Try not to pick fights with people (I know we all make mistakes though!) and if anything happens, handle it maturely. Forgive others for their mistakes because everyone gets into it at one time or another; the important thing is to move on.
• Don’t take anything too seriously – Throughout middle school, I took everything way too seriously and worried way too much. As soon as I got to high school, none of it mattered. People say the same about high school once they get to college (I wouldn’t know yet though!), but for middle school I think it’s even more true. Just enjoy this time and the growing pains it comes with; any drama or issues will work themselves out and you’ll probably forget about them very quickly.
• Have fun with your friends and enjoy it while it lasts!! – Try not to think about the future or high school too much; it’s too far to worry about and even though time flies, that’s just more of a reason to stay in the present. My middle school years felt long but short at the same time; it really is an important time to have fun, make new friends, make mistakes, and learn. Have these tips in mind but don’t be afraid to forge your own path and do whatever it takes to make the experience more enjoyable and personalized for you.

I hope this guide helped some of you guys out and calmed any incoming sixth graders’ nerves. I promise everything is going to be okay and it’s not nearly as scary as you think it is; you will all do great and have tons of fun in middle school! If you think something should be added to this list or have any requests for school/middle school related content, please let me know! I’ll be back with some exciting new posts soon 🙂

-Brooke

Hello everyone!

I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again; the time when the summery 4th of July displays in stores are replaced with everything kids need for school, from backpacks to pencils. I was going to wait until a bit closer to August and the end of the summer before doing back to school content, but when I went to Target and saw the racks of supplies I knew now was as good of a time as any.

Today I’m going to be giving you a list of not just the things I bought last year for school (my freshman year of high school), but the things I actually used/needed. There’s tons of colorful and gimmicky stuff out there, but you really don’t need that much – especially in high school. I actually enjoy back-to-school shopping since I’m a pretty organized person and I love having fresh notebooks and pens, but I’ve also realized what not to get sucked into buying. I haven’t gone back-to-school shopping for this upcoming year yet, but I plan on buying all the things I’ll share with you guys today. Last thing- I personally buy almost all my school supplies at Target and they tend to have pretty good deals, so I suggest going there to buy most of these items!

Here’s the list (I’ll also be providing links to the products or examples of the products in case you want to directly buy them or you were confused on what it was by my description):

• Five Star graph paper notebooks (for math) – I LOVE these; they’re a lifesaver when graphing in math and they keep your work much more organized. Definitely better than normal notebooks for math. https://www.amazon.com/Spiral-Notebook-Subject-Inches-Assorted/dp/B00OUACFQI/ref=asc_df_B00OUACFQI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167156626445&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5567102949122113985&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031634&hvtargid=pla-306507161751&psc=1
• Pilot G2 pens – (blue, black, and red are essentials, but their variety pack also includes a purple and green) – These are my FAVORITE pens! They write so smoothly, especially if you get the finer tipped ones (0.38 or 0.5 mm) https://www.target.com/p/pilot-174-retractable-gel-pens-with-comfort-grip-0-7mm-5ct-multicolor-ink/-/A-13317185
• PaperMate Flair pens (5 pack) – I love these colored pens for writing fun notes/anything where I can use something other than a basic pen. You can get their larger packs with more color options, but I didn’t get many opportunities to use them throughout the year so the 5 pack was enough for me. https://www.target.com/p/paper-mate-5pk-marker-pens-multicolor-ink/-/A-14463182
• Five Star college-ruled notebooks – This brand has very sturdy notebooks. I like them the best because you can find them in both basic colors and fun designs, they usually have a pocket in the front to store papers, and they’re larger than other notebooks (both more sheets and just physically/dimensions wise) so they last longer. https://www.target.com/p/five-star-1-subject-college-ruled-spiral-notebook/-/A-54474304?preselect=54461264#lnk=sametab
• Loose-leaf college-ruled paper – Self-explanatory, but it’s necessary to have scratch paper on hand for any class. https://www.target.com/p/100ct-college-ruled-reinforced-filler-paper-up-38-up-8482/-/A-13684336
• Mini size Post-It notes – You can get large size ones or fancier ones not from the official Post-It brand, but I find that the mini ones work great for me since they take up less space in notebooks and they fit in my school assignment notebook as well. They come in tons of fun colors! https://www.target.com/p/post-it-174-notes-3-34-x-3-34-4pk-marseille-collection-50-sheet-pad/-/A-14511773
• Post-It note tabs – These are the best for marking important pages in books and just dividing up your spiral notebooks. I always use one to mark a new unit in my notebooks for each class so I can easily flip closre to the next empty pages. Again, these come in quite a few sizes and colors. https://www.target.com/p/post-it-174-flags-1-34-x-1-7-34-60ct-3pk-green-blue-purple/-/A-13333065
• PaperMate Clearpoint mechanical pencils – These are the best mechanical pencils! I prefer mechanical pencils to normal pencils just because you don’t have to sharpen them and for me it’s easier to write neatly with them. This kind lasts the longest (they’re sturdier than cheaper ones), and the eraser is actually pretty good. You can get them in packs of 3 (which is honestly all you need for a year unless people borrow them and never give them back) and they have a few color selections. https://www.target.com/p/paper-mate-clearpoint-3ct-mechanical-2-pencils-0-7mm-with-lead-eraser-refills/-/A-50362377
• Lead!! – You will need LOTS of extra lead for your mechanical pencils, so I recommend stocking up in the beginning of the year. Any brand is fine (I’ve used everything from the PaperMate that comes with the pencils to Target brand to Pentel), just make sure you have a lot and that it matches the fineness of your pencil (0.5mm vs. 0.7mm, etc.) https://www.target.com/p/pentel-2ct-0-7mm-mechanical-pencil-lead-refill/-/A-13771758
• Eraser – In case your pencil eraser gets all used up, make sure to have an extra eraser on hand. It’s also useful for when you need to erase a larger amount of writing; lots of people will probably ask to borrow it! https://www.target.com/p/pentel-174-hi-polymer-174-erasers-4ct/-/A-13296292
• Fiskars non-stick scissors – This technically isn’t a necessity, it’s just something I’ve always had in my pencil pouch and they usually come in handy. They’re especially nifty because the non-stick blades allow you to cut tape; they’re great for group projects and anything of the sort, but I’ve also used them a lot just for cutting loose strings from my clothes 🙂 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fiskars-Non-stick-Big-Kids-Scissors-6-in/285348188?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=5152&adid=22222222227161469551&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=273408710601&wl4=pla-455623407308&wl5=9031634&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=285348188&veh=sem
• Scotch tape – I always used glue sticks in middle school but I never even opened one last year. Tape was much more practical if I needed to put something in a spiral and for using on projects; plus, if something actually rips you can easily fix it! https://www.target.com/p/scotch-174-magic-153-tape-3-4-x-350-3pk/-/A-13356914
• Sharpie highlighters (orange, pink, and yellow are essentials, but you may need more colors and they have some variety packs with blue/purple/green) – These are clearly one of the basics you will need for taking notes and such. I prefer the thinner ones because they come out neater on the page but pick whatever you prefer. There’s also lots of other brands that have more color selections/cuter highlighters so get those if you want, but for the basics Sharpie is a reliable brand. https://www.target.com/p/sharpie-174-accent-highlighter-bold-tip-10ct-multicolor/-/A-14463205
• 3-ring binder(s) with pocket dividers **only if your classes require it- In general, I prefer spiral notebooks to binders, but for classes with lots of papers/worksheets you will want binders or the teachers may require it. Keep it organized with dividers that have pockets in the front and keep some loose-leaf paper in the back. https://www.target.com/p/1-5-3-ring-binder-clear-view-compare-to-avery-174-durable-153-up-up-153/-/A-51463826?preselect=53261225#lnk=sameta dividers: https://www.target.com/p/plastic-index-divider-8-tab-with-pocket-up-up-153/-/A-13326167
• Pencil case – This is the one thing that I highly suggest you be creative on no matter what! You’ll have it on your desk every day and if it’s cute it will put you in a better mood when getting out your other supplies; plus, you’ll be less likely to mistake it for someone else’s if you get a unique one! I usually still get mine from Target, but there are lots of online stores where you can get cuter ones- or just look on Amazon. No link here because there’s too many options!
• Stapler – I personally got a normal-sized stapler and kept it at home on my desk, but lots of people got a mini one so they could keep it with them at school. Either way you will be stapling a lot of papers, so I definitely recommend having your own; just do whatever works best for you. The link isn’t working normally but here it is.

*Lots of these items come in more aesthetically pleasing versions from various brands for a higher price. If you prefer that (some people find nicer school supplies motivating), go for it! I just listed the most practical versions of everything and they’ve worked just fine for me. Throughout the year a lot of supplies get lost and roughed up anyways; plus, most of these are still high-quality products, they’re just not the prettiest/fanciest looking.

I hope this supply list helped you guys out and gave you an idea of what you might need if you are an incoming freshman. Remember this is just based off of my freshman year and what I used in my classes (every teacher/school might want slightly different things), but I still think it’s a good general outline of what to get. Make sure to check out the other school-related articles I’ve posted so far- lots more back to school content is to come! Remember to enjoy the rest of your summer though; school is still a decent amount of time away. Let me know if you think anything should be added to this list and if you have any requests for school-related posts!

-Brooke

Hello everyone!

This post is going to be a compiled list of the main things I wish I had known before embarking on my high school adventures. These tips will be from the more general advice to the trivial things and more direct suggestions, but also keep in mind this is based off of my school/experience. It’s definitely an adjustment from middle school and it can seem intimidating at first, but I promise you will be fine and once you’re settled in you will most likely enjoy at least some aspects of it! I know it’s a little early in the summer to start with back to school content, but I also know that I was already a little stressed about starting high school at this time last year; if there are any of you in that situation out there, this is for you! I was in your shoes not too long ago (I’m a rising sophomore) and I promise everything will be fine- you’re already ahead by doing your research and landing here!

1. Get involved as soon (and as much) as possible. Technically I did this since I was involved in a school sport, but I wish I tried more activities besides that. Freshman year is the best time to try a bunch of new things since you’re already out of your comfort zone anyways, and it will introduce you to tons of new people. Also, it’s great because if you find the clubs/groups/etc. that you enjoy being a part of in your first year, you can stay committed for the rest of your high school experience and move up into leadership positions in future years. Try at least one type of activity, but more than one is even better since you can always drop them and this is most likely the year that you will have the most free time anyways. Don’t be scared like I was!
2. Don’t worry about the upperclassmen. Seriously, don’t. I know there’s always scary stories or scenes in cheesy movies about seniors shoving the lowly freshmen into trash cans or lockers, but the reality is they just don’t care. In fact, unless you’re a) on a sports team or in a club with them, b) really smart and therefore in higher level classes that they would be in, or c) have older siblings/friends/acquaintances, you will probably barely come into contact with juniors or seniors. At my school, juniors and seniors both can leave campus for lunch and seniors can completely finish their day of classes before lunch if they were on time with credits. This means you will barely ever see them, except for in passing and maybe before school/after school, but barely even then because they will usually be in the student parking lot area. Most of them probably find the freshmen annoying, but they’re not going to do anything about it and a good amount of them would even be somewhat friendly if you encountered them since they have to be role models for the school and keep themselves in check for college.
3. Utilize your counselor/other resources your school offers. At first I was scared to talk to my counselor, and I was unaware of a lot of the programs my school had. Once situations with schedules came up where I actually had to go in and see my counselor, I realized what a great resource she was and how much she could help with improving my school experience. That’s exactly why they are there, and they can help guide you down the right path with choosing classes and getting involved in different things at school that you may not have thought of before. It can be intimidating especially if you’re at a huge school like me (each counselor has about 400-500 of us to counsel, and sometimes it’s hard to get an appointment), but it’s so worth it and if you’re feeling really nervous just jot some notes down of questions so you’re prepared. It’s also great to get to know your counselor just so you have someone in your corner for all four years- teachers may switch around every year, but you’ll most likely have the same counselor, and they can eventually write you a (hopefully stellar!) recommendation letter for college.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!! This is an extension of the previous tip, but seriously reach out and take advantage of the knowledge that your teachers have. Especially when it comes to higher-level courses like APs, your teachers (should) know the content front to back, and they will be happy to talk about it if you come to them for further questions. It will leave a good impression on them if you stay after class to ask for help and work towards getting a better understanding, and they’ll probably keep that in mind when it comes time for grading. In a lot of my classes, participation was either a small portion of your grade or something that could get your grade rounded up at the end of the semester. Participate and show your teachers that you care ESPECIALLY if you’re struggling, and they will like you ten times more, regardless if you’re not a perfect student.
5. Keep your books at home unless you know you need them on an almost daily basis. Carrying around a bunch of stuff all the time will be very hard on your back throughout the year, and even taking multiple trips to your locker each day to switch out books can be a tedious task. I started out the year always bringing my books to each class and stopping at my locker to switch everything out a couple periods just because I had so much stuff, but I soon realized this wasn’t necessary. A lot of teachers will provide some form of online text or just simply won’t use the actual book that much; therefore you can either keep it at home or in your locker, but not actually bring it to class. I would actually streamline how many notebooks/binders you have too if possible, only having separate ones for teachers that absolutely require it.
6. Reach out to others- you may have to put more effort into friendships and meeting people. This really depends on how outgoing you are, but for me as a somewhat introverted person it was definitely a little difficult to adjust to the high school social scene. There will be tons of new people and potential friends for you to meet, but it may not just fall into place where you immediately make a bunch of new best friends just because you’re meeting new people. From my experience, most people stayed rooted in their groups from middle school for a while; they mingled a little bit and then started to change around, but there was only a little initial change and then other changes were much more gradual over the year. If people are sticking in cliques and you were looking forward to forming new connections, you totally still can- you’ll just have to put yourself out there more. It’s much easier if you just bond with people from whatever sport/activities you’re involved in, but I know that not everyone meshes well with their team/group members so if that doesn’t work, do your best to start conversations with people in your classes. Be friendly, ask questions, and listen to whatever people have to say- sooner or later they’ll realize what a great friend you would be!
7. It’s never as big or scary as you think it is. I go to a school with around 2,400 kids, a big jump from my middle school with barely 1,000. I was beyond scared to walk onto campus; I assumed people would be mean, the campus would be huge and extremely crowded (I mean it is large and crowded, but nothing as bad as I imagined), and I would easily get lost. Once I finally found my way around, the once enormous school seemed insignificant and small to me. Of course it’s definitely still large, but as soon as you settle in it won’t feel that way. Everyone’s going through the same thing or in the older students’ cases, has already been through it. If they can do it, so can you! Soon it will seem like no big deal, and the first days of school will be a speck in your memory.
8. Always doing your homework and engaging in class can usually get you to at least a B, even if you bomb some tests. This depends on the teacher and the grading scale, but in most classes homework will at least account for some of your grade. It just doesn’t make sense not to do it, since it’s a small chunk of your time for basically free points that will help your grade. I know some types of assignments are much more challenging than others, but if you consistently do your homework there’s almost no way you can do super badly in a class. Sometimes you can even get some of it done in your class time- this often happened in my math class. If you’re still worried about doing well in a class, remember that homework is supposed to prepare you for tests and such- if you’re doing it, it will hopefully help you in doing better on tests and other assessments! Plus, your teacher will see you as reliable and a good student, so you’ll be on their good side.
9. Appealing to your teachers and adapt to their individual teaching styles/personalities goes a long way. This can apply to any form of school, not just high school. What I mean by this is as you get to know your teachers better and spend more time in their class, figure out what you should be doing specifically to succeed in their class based on their teaching style. Find the best ways to study for their tests, the ways they grade assignments and the main things they care about in your work. Observe the things that may impress them or bother them in class (for example, some teachers love when you ask a lot of questions during lectures, some get annoyed). Besides just working hard and doing your homework, this is the key to securing the best grade possible and forming a strong relationship with your teacher.
10. In most situations, a good night’s sleep is much more important than staying up late to study for that one test or quiz. A lot of people may disagree with me on this, especially since high-school students are some of the most sleep-deprived people anyways. However, sleep is one of my top priorities, especially since I started high school and realized how draining it can be; I realized quickly that I could not handle an 8 hour school day, a few hours of cheer, a few hours of homework with time left for eating and getting ready for bed if I didn’t get substantial sleep. You’re probably thinking, if I had all that stuff to do in the first place, then how did I end up going to sleep early? It’s simple: I would set a time I wanted to be in bed (not necessarily asleep, just everything done/put away for the day and me being able to lay in bed) and I would make sure I was in bed by that time. This made me work more productively, and if I didn’t finish everything I needed to do I would just do it in the morning before school. Though most of the time, I found this strategy just made me more efficient and I would end up completing everything in time for bed anyways- I highly recommend doing this, especially if you need your sleep like me!
11. Bring lots of (healthy and filling) snacks with you for lunch, not necessarily a normal meal. This might just be because we don’t have a designated lunch area or many lunch tables at my school (there’s about 12 tables and a few benches), but no one really sits down and eats a normal lunch. In fact, lots of my friends don’t eat during lunchtime at all; we hang around a certain spot where most people stand, there’s a little ledge to sit but usually people only do so if they’re studying or doing last minute homework. They just eat inbetween classes or during the classes where it’s allowed. Personally, I can’t go that long without eating even if I do have a snack in one of my classes, so I just pack a bunch of snack foods so I can eat them whenever I get hungry (in class or at actual lunch) and they’ll be good for on-the-go. I can do another post on healthy snack ideas, but some of my favorites are apple slices or really any fruit, whole-grain crackers and peanut butter, and Skinny Pop popcorn.
12. As soon as you find out your schedule, map it out and figure out the best way to get from class to class before actually getting there. This is obviously just for the first day of school, but it helped me on my first day so much!! If your school gives out schedule details before you actually get there on the first day, look on a map where all your classes are and figure out your path. You probably won’t find the best path until you’re actually there because once you get into the rhythm of things you’ll take into account the most trafficked areas or which ways your friends are going, but it will still give you peace of mind. Also, set your schedule as your phone lock screen and make sure you either have a picture of a map on your phone or a printed map in your bag- and highlight/circle/star your classes on it!
13. Go to all the events you can and participate in spirit events like spirit week! This is kind of a personal preference; if you and your friends just aren’t into this by no means do you have to participate, but it’s supposed to be fun and make you feel involved in the school. Freshmen tend to be a little lame with school spirit because no one really knows what the deal is yet and the “culture” of this depends on your school, but since I was on the cheer team I had to be spirited either way. Rallies are super fun and there’s lots of performances to watch, plus there’s just such a special energy in the air when you have basically the whole school out of class and enjoying the event together. Also, go to football games!!! They are definitely the most fun out of any sports games (maybe I’m a little biased, but seriously- and I’m not even a football fan) just because everyone shows up and cheers like crazy and there’s always stuff going on after the game as well. The homecoming game and homecoming dance were probably my favorite memories of the year since I had the best time with my friends and there were so many exciting things going on at once.
14. Try to enjoy it and remember even if things go wrong or you’re just not loving the experience, it’s only four years of your life. Last year went by insanely fast for me, and I regret not getting out and enjoying it more. Even though I was stressed and not the happiest with my situation sometimes, I should have made the best of it a little more because you’re only in high school once and there are a lot of experiences unique to this time in your life. Some weekends after a long, tough week, I would isolate myself and just lay around at home rather than hang out with friends- it’s totally okay if you need to recharge and sometimes I just did, but I definitely did it a little too much and missed out on some things. Go have fun and don’t stress too much like I did if possible, it’s only freshman year.

I hope these pieces of advice helped! For any of you incoming freshmen- feel free to message me or leave any questions that you may have, I am rooting for all of you to have the best year 🙂 Enjoy your last summer before the craziness of high school begins! I will be posting lots more school related content towards the end of summer, but this will most likely be the last post in that genre for now. Stay tuned for that, and for all my other posts coming soon!