4 Things Every High Schooler Needs To Know About Being A Freshman
Start writing a post
Student Life

4 Things Every High Schooler Needs To Know About Being A Freshman

Cherish these moments while you have them.

14
4 Things Every High Schooler Needs To Know About Being A Freshman
Katie Petrilak

High school is almost over. You're almost out of your hometown. You are about to graduate.

Take a second, and let that sink in.

Some people can't stop thinking about that and are so excited to get away from everything. Others are going to be living at home, working or commuting. Just remember that either option is OK. My biggest piece of advice is to just take a look around. Stop to smell the roses. Appreciate every opportunity you have while you have it.

I promise you, one day you'll look back and realize high school was the greatest time of your life. I know, not everyone is going to agree with me, but there have to be at least a few things that make you smile. High school is the time where you find out just who you are and who you want to be. You really start to discover who you are going to be when you grow up. Like what you are going to be interested in and what you honestly want to do for the rest of your life. It's kind of scary thinking that after this, you're not going to have that much time to explore and figure things out. Those four years are meant to be spent determining your future. That doesn't mean you can't have fun doing it.

1. Spend as much time as possible with your friends.

Don't let it get in the way of your school work, but make sure it's an opportunity you get. I hate to break your heart, but your friends will slowly disappear. One minute, you're a short drive from them and then the next you are hundreds of miles away from all of them, separated by different directions. Spend your last moments of high school holding them close to your side. Be adventurous with them. Take some risks. You will regret it if you don't. Sneak out of your house in the middle of the night, go to a nearby park, and sit and swing for hours. Lean back and look up at the stars as you talk for hours about anything and everything. Just enjoy yourself and the little moments you have left with them.

2. Appreciate every weird and quirky tradition you may have.

They may be as tame as having the same class schedule to stick to. You may even have some weird tradition that you do before games and performances. Giving out paper plate awards, singing "All Star", and doing the pregame ass-slap will forever be some of my favorite traditions from high school. They were our own little traditions to help us de-stress and get ready to perform.

3. Tell your teachers thank you.

Every single one of them. They were the ones that helped you get to the point where you are. College is so much harder, and your professors aren't always there to have your back. Teachers in high school though, they're ready to push your limits and to be your best friend when things may not be going your way. They've given you the education you've needed to get to where you're going. Sure, they are getting paid to teach you, but they put a lot more of an emotional connection to it.

4. Everything will be okay.

You may find yourself going down a path you don't necessarily enjoy, or even at a school that isn't the right fit for you. That's okay, you have time to change it. You will make plenty of new friends in college. You will roam halls once more that will be unfamiliar until you make some of the best memories in them. You will eat equally as crappy college food. You will struggle being in a new area. Things will seem strange. They will seem almost unreal sometimes. Just prep yourself to have some of the best next few years in the future.

For now, look around those hallways and smile. You never know when you're going to be in them next. It may be tomorrow, in a month, or in a few years. Treat them just as well as they treated you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

57640
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37147
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958861
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

191626
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments