I remember three years ago, when I walked into high school on the first day, I was a timid little freshman with no knowledge or ideas of what was to come. I didn't know that putting off studying until the night before would have such an affect on my grade or that it really doesn't matter what people think of me.

I was clueless.

Looking back, I wish I had known. I would have done things a little differently in order to better prepare myself for the future. Now that I am senior, I realized just how much the habits you establish in your freshman year can stick with you and lead you for the years to come. So, in order to help all of you unsuspecting freshman out there, here are 8 pieces of advice to help get you through the year!

1. Stay on top of your work and prioritize.

There is nothing more important than getting into good study habits and having a solid work ethic from the start. It’ll help you more and more as your workload grows and it seems like you have no time at all. By prioritizing your time, you will make it easier to stay focused on school and have time to do what you love, hang out with friends, and overall just enjoy high school.

2. Be organized.

No skill will be better for you to have than being organized. Know how to keep your papers in line, your schedule in mind and your time stress-free. Being organized will do you a whole lot of good when it comes time for exams and turning in assignments. Knowing where everything is and when everything is due will come in handy more than you many think.

3. Write it down.

I don’t care if you think you’ll remember it because you tell yourself you will — you won’t. Get in the habit of writing every little assignment, test, quiz and project down. Even if it’s something small like “get permission slip signed” and you’ve remembered every time in middle school, still write it down. Life gets crazy in high school — crazy in a good way — and it becomes super easy to forget the little things. Just think: if you are forgetting the small things that seem to have little importance, you’re bound to forget about that big test you have coming up at some point in time.

4. Study, study, study.

The minute you find out you’re having a test, start studying. That doesn’t mean study for hours and hours, just for 15-20 minutes each day leading up to it. This will help you in the long run because you’ll know the information better than you thought when the time does come to get down to business, and you won’t be freaking out pulling an all-nighter the night before a test. Speaking of — those never work, and you’re bound to do worse by pulling one. Go to any and all study sessions your teachers might be holding. They’re the ones making the test, so hearing what they have to say just might be useful.

5. Stress is just a mindset.

There really is no such thing as stress — it’s simply something your mind creates when you have a whole lot of daunting tasks to accomplish in what seems like no time at all. Stressing yourself out only makes all of that seem worse. Tell yourself that you can do it all and that there is nothing to worry about, because there isn’t. We stress out over stress, not over the tasks at hand. Realize now that stress is a mindset, because if you do, you’ll never stress yourself out again.

6. Build strong friendships.

I was beyond lucky to walk into high school with an amazing group of friends from middle school. We have had our ups and downs, but even to this day, six weeks into senior year, we are still as close as we were then. Don’t be afraid to make new friends as well. You’re going to meet so many amazing people, some of whom will have an amazing impact on your life. Having friends you can rely on during all the good and bad things in life will be the biggest blessing you’ll ever receive. If there is ever someone in your friend group who you feel is tearing you down or holding you back, don’t stay in that toxic relationship.

7. Don’t care about what others think of you.

There are people you don’t particularly like, and some people will have those same feelings towards you. High school won’t be the last time you ever encounter these people. Don’t let them ever get you down, and don’t spend your time worrying about what they think of you- it’s a big waste of time. Focus on the amazing friends you have in your life and the positivity they add to your life, not the negativity from others.

8. Don’t rush high school away.

For all of you looking at a calendar thinking “oh my goodness, senior year and graduation are SO far away,” you are SO wrong. Your first three years of high school are going to fly by faster than you could have ever imagined. Right now you might be worrying about the fast-approaching deadline for your biology project, but sooner than you think you’ll be worrying about the deadline for your college applications. Enjoy each and every moment of high school like it’s your last, because come graduation day, it will be, and you’ll be wishing that it didn’t have to end.