When I entered Northview High School, there were some things that I wished I had been told. Behind the fairytale mirage that every high school puts up, there are some things you end up learning along the way. So my gift to every underclassman struggling to survive out there is a list of 12 secrets every high school freshman needs to know.

1. There will be self-taught classes.

Don't get me wrong; these classes have teachers, and the teachers have the resources. But sometimes, they don't want to use them. You end up teaching yourself the entire course without the help of your teacher. I can guarantee you will encounter at least one subject like this in your entire high school career.

2. AP courses are honestly somewhat of a must. But don't destroy your entire schedule with six APs.

When they say, "Don't take too many AP classes," you should interpret that as, "AP courses are your lifeline — but make sure to enjoy yourself." These show colleges you can handle their stuff, but you need to make sure that you are keeping up with the class. Failing the course otherwise defeats the purpose, so always take courses that interest you. There's no point in taking an AP course in which you fail, because that shows colleges that you can't handle their college courses. Plus, if you're going to Northview. APs will make up the majority of your schedule every year.

3. You think you won't procrastinate, but you will.

No matter how on top of it you were in middle school, high school is a whole other story when it comes to workload. There's no way to not procrastinate in some class because while you're staying up till 12 studying for one class, there's another class's work that's sitting in your bag, waiting to be done. Make sure to create a schedule dedicating certain evenings to certain courses, but know that it's highly unlikely that you'll finish all six classes worth of work in one evening. That's what I do. Five days a week. Each day is dedicated for a certain class unless I have a major test the next day, and usually, the schedule doesn't clash! Freshmen year, I struggled. I was so confused as to which subject to study for on which night, so I set up a straight schedule for each night every week. Small shutouts to agendas! They help to straighten out not just your school career but your life in general.

4. Do not sign up for too many clubs!

Look instead at the few you will really commit to. It's better to have three extracurricular with four years of commitment rather than 40 clubs with six months of commitment. I've been involved in my Mock Trial team, UNICEF club and National Beta club for about two to three years. Because my commitment has been for almost my entire high school career so far, I even hold officer positions in some of those clubs!

5. Don't be the person who stands in the middle of the hallway and blocks all the traffic.

You're going to irritate everyone around you. Students have just six minutes to make sure they have all their stuff for their classes and blast to the next period, and it's probably on the other side of the school. Don't be that person that stops in the middle of the hallway to say "hi" to someone. Northview traffic is already worse than peak office time Atlanta traffic; don't make it worse.

6. Become close with a teacher or two.

Having teachers as friends can give you insights on how to survive their classes or the classes of their colleagues! They can give you heads up on certain important points. Also, if you have a question or concern, you can always go to them!

7. You're going to lose friends and gain some, so don't fight against change.

Sometimes it's for the best, so be ready to meet new people. High school offers so many different courses that you will end up meeting people you didn't even know went to your middle school. People also change during high school; they try to fit in and end up going down paths you wouldn't have expected them to go down. You'll lose some friends in your life and gain some others, but just make sure that at the end of the day, your friends are people you can trust.

8. Enjoy the drama, but don't become a part of it.

Seeing other people's drama might make you snicker or look at them in pity. Whatever emotion you're feeling about other people's social issues, keep it to yourself. Unless someone's getting in some serious mental or physical harm, don't become a part of their problems unless you really need to. If there's drama brewing in between people within your friend group, ignore it. Act like it doesn't exist, and move on. There's way too much that you currently need to be focusing on than the issue that Taylor invited Maddie to her party but didn't invite Ashley.

9. Upperclassmen are happy to help. Don't be intimidated by us.

Juniors and seniors have no problem in answering a few questions. Need help finding a teacher's room? Confused on what we do at pep rallies? Ask away! We're completely fine with that. We remember how it felt to be a lost freshman!

10. But freshmen should know their place.

As happy as we are to help you freshmen, keep in mind that you're at the bottom of the food chain. Please don't try to act all high and mighty just because you're a high schooler. It's a tradition for upperclassmen to immediately dislike the new freshmen class because most freshmen try to act like upperclassmen. We worked hard to get to where we are. You guys have to go through the same process.

11. Forget everything you ever learned about writing essays in middle school.

OK, well not everything. But you're going to see a complete 180-degree turn on how to write essays. There are formulas on how to write essays, how to analyze books, how to quote weave and where to place your thesis among other things. CDWs become your lifeline in your ninth and 10th grade literature classes.

12. Ask questions!

Don't be afraid questions. No question is a stupid one. If it means it will help you, then by all means, ask away!