last week, for me, was the last day of school as a freshman. i’ve made a lot of mistakes during the past school year, went through another depressive episode— but, in the end, it was worth it. for rising freshmen, here’s some advice from a rising sophomore.
1. the ride won’t be easy
especially if you’re going to a selective high school, don’t expect anything to be easy. brush up on study habits over the summer, practice some self-care, go on a special summer trip overseas, etc. the summer before freshman year is probably the last “free” summer that you’ll ever have before college.
coming from a school where middle/elementary-school achievers promptly burned out by second quarter, the teachers ingrained this mindset hard. it’s also applicable here. freshman year is not an end-all-be-all. it’s a year to try things out, get adjusted to the Grind, and find yourself. if you get a few B’s as a final mark or in first quarter, don’t be afraid. colleges look for improvement. if you can show that you glo’d up throughout the years, they’ll be very pleased. but likewise...
in a world where students are expected to be smart, athletic, and involved, it can be hard to keep track of time and limits. sure, studies are important, but funneling all of your energy into studies will only drain you. you need an activity of any kind to keep you sane. if you have difficulty with discipline, join a time-consuming extracurricular (e.g. sports teams, marching band/color guard, academic teams, etc.). if you have no time for this, then get into grind time prime time mode. block off your time, block your distractions, and get your shit done as soon as you get home.
4. take advantage of anything
these four years will fly by fast. if you have high ambitions/deep passions, now is the time to start. for example, since i’m passionate about writing, i scoured writing contests online and attended an interest meeting for a national writing contest. in addition, i also dove through various meteorology resources for various summer camps/internships including the summer camp i recently attended. in high school, it’s up to you to advocate for yourself. to ace it, work up your inner hustler, find out which teachers like you, find out your passions, and dive into all of it with all your soul.
5. don’t trust teachers (99% of the time)
teachers won’t spoonfeed you in high school. tests may be given with two weeks’ notice. good teachers will be a hit or miss. sometimes, bad grades are inevitable, and that’s fine. to combat this, actively block out your time. don’t be afraid to try to get on teachers’ good sides— in fact, it’s the most viable option for the strictest. write down all dates in a planner of some kind. it’ll be important for you, especially when teachers won’t give you grade bumps at the end of the year.
bad grades, fake friends, overbearing parents, and looming deadlines can all take a toll on mental health. especially in an environment where mental health is stigmatized, it’s important to place your own well-being first. it doesn’t matter if self-care costs your ambitions; your mind and body will thank you immensely. for example, i could not handle the workload of the algebra ii course at my school and dropped to the “remedial” math course, which i could easily handle more. if you need anything, talk to someone. bottling emotions will destroy your mind and, at some point, it will all violently burst. when i had a bad mental low, i went to my counselor and my friends to vent. most importantly, don’t stay with fake friends just because you want companionship. i slipped into a horrid mental low during second quarter because i recognized that my “friends” at the time only ruined my mental health. in the end, i cut them off, and i found a new supportive friend group. all in all, take care. let yourself know that you matter through any means.
and that’s it! let me know if you have any specific questions about freshman year and i can get right to you on those.
