1. It goes by so fast!
You really don't understand this until you are walking across the stage or picking up your tickets for graduation and realize this is the last time you are a student walking the halls. The next time you come back, you will need a visitors pass! A visitors pass to the place you spent four years and was basically home for you 5 days a week, 7 hours a day - not including extracurricular activities. You walk in the first day as a freshman not knowing where to go or who to sit with, and leave in the blink of an eye knowing every hall, which bathroom is the best, and which teachers are best for each thing you need. Cherish every minute and every second.
2. Finding the "right" group of friends takes way longer than four years.
Now, I know some people find lifelong friends in high school, but it is usually not the case. I changed friend groups all the time. My first couple years of high school, I got caught up in the wrong crowd because I came into high school and just picked the first group I could find and stuck with them...but DO NOT be afraid to branch out! You may realize you fit into many groups, and that is great! You may want to stick with just one, and that is also great! But realize that in four years, you will be going separate ways and a lot of those "great" friendships were just due to convenience of seeing each other every day!
3. That boy/girl you think is the love of your life is not.
Like before, it's usually due to convenience of being in the same school. You both are growing still and will experience a lot of troubles as you leave high school. "How far from each others' colleges to home or to each other? You went to a party last night without me? You met a bunch of friends? What are they like? Are they girls/boys? etc." Even the summer after high school is a lot different. Do not settle on one person in high school; it can tie you down for so long and keep you from realizing how fun high school can be without the worry of a relationship!
4. Try as many things as you can.
Whether that means clubs, sports teams, or a project - go for it! I spent my freshman year thinking I was just going to do the arts (chorus, art, theatre, etc.), and boy was I wrong. I ended up dating a boy at the end of freshman year that was taking agriscience the next year, so I signed up too. We ended up in different classes, and I ended up falling in love with the class and breaking up with the boy (haha). I spent sophomore, junior, and senior year doing everything FFA (Future Farmers of America) and even became vice president of our chapter! Who would have thought?
I also tried cross country and did it for one and a half years (I got tired of running so much), but I loved it my first year and it was a great way to keep myself in shape! So try whatever you can!
5. Go to every single game/event you can!
College is obviously a lot more money than high school - and that is true for sporting events too. My high school was around $6 for any sporting event and I went to a lot of football and some basketball and baseball games my first three years. Senior year for many schools means free admission to games or a student price....take advantage of it! The best way to take advantage of what your school has to offer is to cheer on your school's teams and hang out with friends in the process! Relay for Life is also an awesome event if your school offers it! Fundraisers for school are really cool, and you can set them up yourself, which is really satisfying!
6. Study, study, and study some more!
This is essential. A lot of people scrape by with bare minimum, but your teachers and your class appreciate it when you participate, put in effort, and aren't a nuisance! It is so satisfying to get a hard test back, and see an "A" that you studied for and earned! This may just be because I am a freak about my grades, but I love seeing a one and a pair of zeros on a test!
7. Take AP classes!
This is one of the best things high schools offers: AP CLASSES! I did not take them until senior year, but I wish I took them junior year also! They are rigorous, but prepare you for college and you can also earn some college credits for free! They also bump up your GPA. It is also okay to take them and not get the AP credit, so now you know to study harder and how to improve your studies for college! I passed two of my three AP classes and earned six college credits, which does not seem like a lot compared to the 100-and-some credits you need to graduate college, but it definitely helps not to have to take those two classes!
8. Do NOT be rude or disrespectful to your teachers.
It not only makes their day terrible, but can make your day, and everyone else's terrible too. There is nothing worse than being sent out of class in front of everyone or being removed from class. It also makes the learning environment bad for people that want to learn.Teachers are underpaid and what you don't realize is that their workday does not end at the last bell...many teachers are coaches, stay to tutor, or have to grade papers. Respect these people and they will respect you, and both of you will have a great semester/year!
9. Bring food from home...unless your school is the one-in-a-million that has good food.
Ninety percent of the food I got in school was either not edible or disgusting. There is a tastier and cheaper alternative to cafeteria food...bring your own! I know, I know, you're probably thinking that it takes so much more work to do that, but I literally just went and brought frozen meals and warmed them up in the school microwaves in the cafeteria. If your school doesn't have cafeteria microwave, many teachers would be happy to warm your food up in the teacher's lounge as long as you ask. It is SO much better than the disgusting, overpriced school food!
10. Have fun.
If you go to school with an optimistic attitude, you will have a good time! Do not waste these four years; they can be great if you make them great! Follow this list, and high school will be great - I promise.
