Sam and Susan’s Tips for High School

May 15, 2019

Walk on the right side of the hallway.

This advice is primarily geared toward freshmen: don’t walk on the left side of the hallway! It would make everyone’s walk to class a lot easier if there weren’t clusters of people in the middle of the hallway or underclassmen bumping into everybody walking the right way. It’s a natural occurrence, but make sure to remind yourself of this advice before a rude senior pushes you out of the way!

Actually study.

A lot of seniors regret one thing: not trying hard enough in school earlier. I wish I hadn’t gone home every day and napped before finishing my work. Whenever there’s a test, don’t blow studying off until the last second. And with that said, grades are important, but don’t let them control your life!

Go to school events.

School spirit and supporting your classmates at sports games are crucial ways to get involved in the high school. I regret not going to more games my freshman and sophomore year because it’s a fun way to socialize with friends and have fun wearing spirit wear for each game. Getting together with all of the grades and cheering on your friends helps make WHS feel more like home.

Don’t worry too much about other people’s opinions of you.

I think many kids overthink things that they do or say, but at the end of the day no one really cares if you said the wrong answer in class. Don’t stress about the little things because everyone will forget that one embarrassing incident that happened to you. People are more concerned about themselves than focusing on someone else who did something weird in class. Because when it comes time to graduate you will realize that stressing about someone else’s opinion doesn’t matter because you will most likely never see them again in your life.

Try to avoid drama as best as possible.

It’s high school; there will always be some form of drama going on around you, but don’t let yourself get involved. It’s easy to let your anger get the best of you in some situations, but most of the time it will come back to bite you in the end. Avoid gossip and drama– especially if it doesn’t pertain to you. I tried my hardest to refrain myself from joining in friendship drama despite my personal views, and because of that I was able to live less of a stressful high school social life.

No matter what, there will be an option waiting for you after high school.

Many high school students fret about life after high school whether it be going to college or wanting to take a year off. Some people excessively worry that they won’t get into college if their grades are suffering, but there most likely will be a college waiting for you in the end. On top of that, it’s definitely okay to take another path post high school such as a gap year, work, or the military. Just conference with your counselor a lot and start your responsibilities early.

Everything will be okay in the end.

The hardest thing about high school is getting wrapped up in all your current problems and feeling like nothing will get better. That’s probably false because so many people come back after high school with one important realization: things do get better. The person who commented something bad on your post won’t matter when you’re in your twenties. The physics exam you absolutely bombed won’t even cross your mind years from now when you’re successful. Live in the moment, but keep your future in mind.

Balance your time with family and friends.

You only have a limited time to spend with your friends in high school before you go off to college and meet new friends. Value the time that you have with friends, because you will regret not hanging out with them enough right before you have to leave them. You also definitely still have to make sure that you are spending time with family, but just remember that your family will always be there for you throughout your life, and the friends in high school you might never see again, so it’s up to you how you want to balance your time with friends and family.

Do things you genuinely enjoy, not just for college.

Many students find themselves in clubs and sports that they do not like, but they think they have to do them to show colleges that they are a well rounded student. However, that is not true. Doing activities that you don’t like is a waste of your time and can ruin your high school experience. There is no point in trying to do things that you do not enjoy doing, so take the time to try out many different things in order to find what you truly love doing with your time.