#co22

As a now Ivy League sophomore who is a first gen college student, is an immigrant, and is low income, I have a lot of advice and tips under my belt. In high school I couldn’t afford test prep courses but knew I had to somehow ace my tests. So I made a video that could help anyone who is currently going through what I went through.

1. Don’t worry too much about making friends. Everyone else is also trying to make friends, so before you know it you’ll have a group of friends. Please Don’t force friendships because no one has time for fake friends, trust me.

2. Extracurricular activities are your friends. The easiest way to find your groove in high school is joining clubs and playing sports. Even if school in itself isn’t your favorite, you are bound to like whatever extracurricular activities you are a part of. P.s: Clubs and Sports are the easiest ways to make friends

3. Don’t think about college just yet. You have only just begun a new chapter in your life, no need in trying to rush into the next one. There will be enough time later on for you to worry about life beyond high school. Don’t attempt to take the ACT or SAT... just don’t

4. Serious relationships are rare. The books and movies may have painted a certain light on high school relationships, but they are a bit far from the truth. Don’t focus on finding a significant other. Just enjoy life as a single human being trying to have fun.

5. Challenge yourself but don’t overdo it. I get it, you want to set yourself up for success in the future, but that doesn’t mean you have to sell your soul. Take a few challenging courses, take a few laid back classes, and enjoy your freshman year.

6. Be Yourself. Don’t try and follow social norms if you don’t want to. But, that doesn’t mean always go against the social norm. What I’m trying to say is: be yourself, no matter what that entails. You’re going to face a lot of weird things in high school, but as long as you are yourself, there is no problem.

7. Don’t start off by digging yourself in an academic hole. Your freshman year may not weigh too much into college apps and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean do extremely poorly in your classes. It will be difficult to bring up a low gpa.