Five Tips for the Incoming High School Sophomore (or freshman).

At the high school I graduated from, you don't go to the 'actual' high school until your a sophomore so for me that is when my high school journey truly began. In those three years, I had some of my best and worst days. As you progress through high school you will experience a lot, here are a few tips to help make the most of these next years.

Be easy on yourself

In high school, you will fail and mess up a time or two. I literally took a chemistry test my junior year where I got not a single problem 100% correct. At the time I cried, and now I find it hilarious, and chemistry is my favorite subject! I also took my drivers test 4 times because I have horrible test anxiety. Again, I cried about it at the time and now I am a mediocre driver, I can do killer 'Y' turns and it's one of my best stories. High school is a time where if you make a mistake it won't ruin your life and you typically won't have to pay for these mistakes like you will in college, unless you get an 175 dollars speeding ticket, but hey, it happens to the best of us. Keep in mind, that as long as you are cautious about your decisions, you will be able to recover from your mistakes and even find them a little funny. Also, don't take yourself so seriously. Stop worrying so much that people are going to judge you because you'll have less fun that way. Most people aren't judging you, to be honest, most of the time in high school I was too sleep deprived to judge anybody. Most people really don't care because they are just trying to pass their AP exams, not fail physics or plan with their friends for the weekend. Live life like you want to, and high school will be a lot of fun. That isn't saying people aren't going to judge you, because they will, but don't let it get it to you. Do what makes you happy.

Have a lot of fun, but be careful.

Confession time; In high school, I never skipped a class. At the end of my senior year I was freaking out because I realized how boring I was, but then I realized that isn't the worst thing to be known as. My advice to you is this; high school should be fun, but don't be stupid. Don't go skipping class, going to parties, and failing classes like it's going out of style just to fit in because you will end up regretting that. If you are seen as a 'nerd' don't beat yourself up about it because you'll probably end up being the 'cool' kids boss one day, and that is really fun. In all seriousness, just stay focused on what you want in life and remember you're not the only person who wants to do well even if some day it feels like it.

Respect your teachers

Trust me when I tell you when I tell you that having your teachers like you will be to your advantage. Also, find a teacher that you trust and get along with, because they can teach you a whole lot more then what their curriculum tells them to. They have been through some of the same stuff you have and have some awesome advice to offer you. Unfortunately, you're not going to get along with every teacher, we all have that teacher that we don't like, and who doesn't like us but don't use that as an excuse to slack off in their class. Typically, teachers like you more if you don't make their hard job harder. Lastly, don't write them an angry letter and then give it to them at graduation, especially if you live in a small town because you will run into them at the grocery store and it will be awful. But, do remember to show your appreciation for the ones who were great to you because it makes them, and you really happy.

Set goals early, and aim for them everyday.

This is in no way saying you have to have your future figured out because I didn't have mine figure out until I was a junior and some of my friends still don't know what they are doing, and that is okay. This is saying that you should at least know if you wanna go to an university, tech school or the military right after high school. If you are college bound, find your dream school. Even if it is a bit unrealistic work towards that goal because it's never a bad thing to be above average if you decide not to go to your dream school in the end. If you at least know what you want you can work towards this. It is okay if goals change, but always remember to have them because the future helps you get through those days in high school when you wanna drop out and work at your local BK for the rest of your life.

Try new things

I know this is an cliche but I can not stress enough how important it is! Academically, try new classes that you never thought you would be interested in because you never know. Even if the classes seem challenging, try it out. I took AP chem my senior year of high school and although It challenged me a lot, I learned a lot that goes far beyond chemistry. The beauty of high school is that it's free, and you don't have to pay for everything but the air you breath like in college. So use this opportunity to try new classes and if you really hate it then you can at least say you tried. Also, join extracurriculars my sophomore year of high school I joined mock trial just because my friends were and I continued it throughout my senior year. Although I am not gonna be a lawyer, mock trial holds some of my best memories of high school and I met some of my best friends in that club. It could be a sport or a club, just do it and enjoy it.

Life will change a lot in these next years, but change is how you grow. Just always remember to enjoy the moments (and free education) while you have it. Also, don't spend all your years wishing for it to be over, because one day you will be wishing you could reverse time. Most importantly, always remember to do your homework.(😀)