Every summer new tips and tricks pop up for students to take advantage of, but sometimes they all seem the same. Scrolling through online websites, one will find tips and study hacks like how to wow teachers with great essays, when the best time of day is to study, music that is proven to strengthen memory retention when preparing for a test or quiz, and even more great tips. However, every student, every school, every year, and every expectation is different, and as a recent high school graduate, I'd like to give you some advice. Here I go. Write your header and take some notes.

1. School supplies? Treat them more like ammo!

Stocking up on the usual supplies like binders, notebooks, notecards, highlighters, pens, pencils, and whiteout is a great plan, but the enemy has tricks. On the battlefield of the classroom, random people just ask you for stuff like it's not your favorite pencil, your last eraser, or the paper you were going to use for the three essays that are due by Friday. Treat your school supplies like ammo. Every student has had to endure the classroom version of the "walk of shame" by asking someone else for a spare writing utensil. Keep enough supply on your person to keep you, and maybe even a classmate or two, prepared for class. Also, when buying school supplies, block out the thoughts that say,

A. " A mini stapler? I don't need that.."

Trust me, you do need that. Beat every one else to the "Finished Homework" tray and have your own mini stapler. It saves so much time waiting on the other 20 classmates to staple their papers and it is worth the very small space it takes up in your backpack.

B. " This cute 2 pocket paper folder is so cute! It has a pug on it!"

Yes, the pug is cute, but that folder is only going to last you two weeks. Two compartments for organization isn't going to get you through all of your classes without some missing papers. Telling your teacher "I didn't see that writing assignment because it was behind all of my chemistry notes" does not work, sadly. Instead, invest in an 8 pocket plastic folder! Use a different pocket for each class and use the spare pockets for forms like these: A+ Card brochures, school t-shirt forms, permission slips, reminders, etc. Also, keeping one of these pockets for loose-leaf paper is a great idea!

2. Be a social butterfly

Friends, frenemies, and freaks should all be treated like friends.

Whether or not you like everyone or agree with what they do, the best thing you can do is be friendly and nice. Reach out! Meet the people who are going through a lot of the same things that you are going through. You won't agree on everything, you won't enjoy every person's company, and you won't ever feel comfortable with doing it, but it will always be worth it. Make room for those "Me too!" moments so that you can connect with other people. You will have friends, frenemies, and you will either know a "freak" or be a "freak." Being different is nothing to be ashamed of and it is nothing to shame others for being! Always be kind to other people, especially while you are in high school. Don't be afraid to sit alone and don't be afraid to ask to sit with other people. Always be confident in yourself and always instill confidence in others.

Don't underestimate the "band nerds!" For some reason, band students are like the best people ever.

3. Ask questions

Nothing is more awful than leaving class with an assignment and not knowing what in the world the teacher just went over. If you ever get hung up on something confusing in class, rethink for a moment and then ask the teacher to explain again. Teachers know that every student doesn't absorb information the same way and teachers would much rather hear you say," I don't really understand" in class than after they have already graded your assignment. Your classmates may roll their eyes or act annoyed, and you might honestly feel stupid, but you shouldn't! You DEFINITELY shouldn't let other people's knack for being condescending hold you back from understanding. If you don't want to ask questions during class in front of everyone else, ask after class, before school the next day, or during a class that you don't have anything to do in. However, some teache's don't like meeting outside of class and some teachers hand out quizzes right after going over a new topic, so the best option is to just rethink, go over your notes again, use a book for reference, and ask the teacher!

4. BYOWB

Bring Your Own Water Bottle!

A water bottle from the cafeteria will always cost at least a dollar. You can save so much money by just bringing your own water. You can buy bottled water in bulk or opt for a washable bottle. A pack of Member's Mark Purified Bottled Water (16.9 oz. bottles, 40 pk.) costs $3.98 at Sam's Club, according to my mother. The choice is yours, between one bottle of water for $1.00 from the cafeteria every day or forty bottles of water for $3.98 from a store. Personally, being a broke high school student, I chose the latter.

5. Be involved

Clubs like FCCLA and FCA, and programs like PALs and FFA are all very worth the effort they ask of you.

Being involved is not just fantastic to put on your resume; the experience, fun, friends, and knowledge is so worth the time it takes to be involved.

FCCLA only requires a few meetings and weekends and show that you value and care for your community and school.

FCA didn't meet often when I was a part of it, but my heart was lifted every time because it helped me to remember that other people shared the same faith, doubts, troubles, and joys that I did.

PALs was one of the best opportunities I could have ever been offered. The time I spent with the elementary students at my school were some of the most eye opening, funny, impactful, and valuable times of my high school years. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

FFA was not something I participated in, but I very much wish I had. My friends participated in it, and got to do so many things that I did not get to do. My college major has a lot to do with agriculture and animals and yet I have almost zero experience with those areas. The scholarship opportunities and learning experiences from being a part of this program are gone for me, but not for you!

6. Do well in your school work

Grades matter so much more than they feel like they matter when you are working on assignments. Don't let the possibility of a supposedly-easy quiz or simple vocab test let you slack off on the assignments that seem impossible. Let me tell you, Mrs. Walker talked the talk about how easy her pop quizzes were but did not walk the walk when she made them. High school is full of surprises. Don't let your progress reports and report cards be one of those surprises. Shoot for the top of your class, and don't ever slack off.

7. Take college classes

Dual credit classes are not only meant for "smart kids"; they are meant for everyone who is willing to put in the work. Taking a high school class now and a college class later is just kind of a waste of time if you can take one class that counts for both institutions. They are worth the effort they require. Dual credit classes are not the only college classes that you can take though! You can take college classes in high school during the school year and in the summer! Being a distinguished student requires a certain amount of college credit. Taking a couple college classes outside of the offered dual credit classes can save you if you make a "C" in a dual credit class. Check with your high school advisor to learn what classes you should look into taking to make the most of your time.

8. Try sports

The physical discipline, fun, and games do not scratch the surface of the awesomeness of sports. The hilarious bus rides, blonde moments during practice, tears, sweat, locker-room moments, and physical output is why sports were worth it for me. I knew I wouldn't go to college for my "skills," but I knew that the work that I did mattered to me. I knew that the encouragement offered to my teammates mattered to them. Nothing helped me connect to my school, peers, coaches, and myself better than being a part of a sport and team. I did not do sports because I was good at them; however, I did sports because of the lessons, teammates, and coaches, I came to know and respect. There are things that you can only get from sports. Seeing the people around you work so hard not just to win but to better themselves makes you really respect them and also challenges you to do the same for yourself. One word of caution must be said though -- don't let the love of the game keep you from doing well in school.

9. Appreciate your teachers

Yes, teachers can be hypocritical and seem to not care about the other classes that you are taking, but understand that they do a lot for you and care about you more than you think they do. The teachers I had in high school were some of the nicest people I have ever encountered. They work hard all the time and endure the same annoying environment you do but they have more responsibilities, believe it or not. Understand that they don't know everything that is stressing you out, but they do have things that stress them out as well. Talk to them! Talking helps give you more credit in their eyes and they are not just credit measuring machines; they are people with feelings, schedules, goals, and deadlines too. Write them a letter of thanks or bring them a gift every once in a while.

10. Don't cheat

It is incredibly easy to cheat, but don't. Respect yourself and your classmates enough to not cheat. You may not think about class ranking enough to care, but other people do. Knowing that someone who cheats has a higher grade point average than someone who works very hard for their grades is not something that musters respects for the cheater. I wasn't a perfect student, and most students aren't, but trying to be is important. Almost everyone cheats in high school at some point, but try your hardest not to. Also, if you want any kind of credit as a student or want to be a part of the National Honor Society or BETA Club, getting caught cheating automatically drops you out of those possibilities. As a teacher's aide in high school, I graded papers and recognized cheating more than I ever felt like dealing with. Your teachers know, and so do your classmates, and so do you.

11. Apply for Scholarships and colleges before senior year

Nothing hurts your pride more than knowing that you missed the application date for a massive scholarship that you could have probably had a great shot at getting or for the college of your dreams. Really - nothing. There are a lot of scholarships that you can apply for before you enter your senior year of high school. Don't wait for the last day to apply for scholarships and colleges either. Most applications ask for letters of recommendation, verified hours of volunteer work, essays, and so much information that take a lot of time to put together. Don't just "not apply" either. The worst thing that you can do for yourself and your parents is to NOT try to help with the college bill. Apply for all of the scholarships you can and look the most for local scholarships. Don't be intimidated by contests or essays. You can do it, and you will wish you had if you don't while you can.

12. Take pictures!

Lastly, don't make the mistake of hiding away from the camera when the yearbook crew invades the classroom. No, you may not be wearing your most flattering outfit, but looking back at your yearbooks and not seeing yourself in more than three pictures is really not fun. You can throw away all the pictures you don't like or even ask the yearbook committee if you can see the pictures they have of you before the year is over and beg them to take you out, but you can never go back and take pictures again. Smile big, because high school doesn't last forever.