Wow. You made it.

Freshman year.

It’s finally real.

But not so fast! You may be a high schooler now, but you’re still at the bottom of the food chain. Be prepared for taunting. People might call you “fresh-meat” or the upperclassmen will chant “go home, freshmen” at the football games. At my school, when freshmen asked for directions to a classroom, some kids used to tell them that it was by the pool.

Spoiler alert: We don’t have a pool.

As a senior in high school myself, I’ve been living this for the past three years now. It feels like just yesterday my mom was dropping me off, lunchbox in one hand, schedule in the other. The sights, the sounds and the smells of high school immediately intimidated me. I found some people I knew and sat with them until the bell rang.

I didn’t stay friends with those people for very long. Only a handful of people that went to my middle school went to the same high school as I did. A few of them even transferred after their freshmen year.

I’m glad, though, that I made new friends and met new people. That’s one of the points of high school: to broaden your horizons. Meet a new person every day. Try being friends with people you normally wouldn’t be friends with. Invite somebody to sit at your lunch table. Ask to sit at somebody else’s lunch table. Join clubs or sports and befriend upperclassmen. They may seem scary, but, trust me, they don’t bite.

However, don’t do what most freshmen do and join every single club your school offers. As a freshman, I was on the math team, and math is the subject I’m worst at! I spread myself too thin, as did the majority of my friends. Trying to balance advanced classes, school extracurriculars, volunteering and my responsibilities at home, I was burned out at 14 years old!

Thankfully, I learned my lesson and pared down a number of activities I was going to participate in (and math team didn’t make the list). I had more time to focus on my academics and building relationships with my teachers.

Befriending your teachers is a key point in high school and will be in college as well. When senior year rolls around and you need letters of recommendation for your college applications, who will you have writing your letters? Certainly not your friends or your significant other.

I hate to break it to you, but high school relationships just don’t last. I’m not saying you shouldn’t date at all, but you have to be smart about it. I spent 13 months focusing on a relationship that ended as quickly as it started, which wasn’t the best use of my time.

One thing that all high schoolers should focus on is what they post on their social media. My rule of thumb is that if you wouldn’t want your grandma to see it, then don't share it. Not even on Snapchat.

Trust me, you may think that you’re safe because it disappears in 24 hours, but you’re not. You could risk getting your college acceptance rescinded.

These may not end up being the “best four years of your life”, but if you try, high school can actually end up being fun. Go to football games and dances. Join the club that you think looks cool. Audition for the school play. Take classes that you’re interested in.

Cherish the time you have in high school. It’ll be over before you know it.

Sincerely,

A High School Senior

P.S. Don't be scared of people judging you for your looks. They're too busy worrying about how they look.