Dear high school freshmen,

Congratulations on making it so far! These next four years may be the best ones of your life. They may also not be. If they’re not, it is okay. You have many more to go. Walking around the building is a bit scary. Choosing what to wear is intimidating. Picturing the worst case scenarios can keep you up all night. But one thing I know is that there are so many neat things in the years ahead of you. If I can give you five pieces of advice, here they are:

1. Bring a pencil, pen and eraser.

Being that kid who always has to ask for pencils annoys everyone. It’s not bad to be prepared. Another piece of advice is to not bring two dozen pencils because you will never get them back once everyone in your class realizes that you can supply them for the whole class.

2. Learn to ask specific questions.

The biology assignment may be hard, true. When you say “I don’t understand it,” the teachers, tutors, parents and even friends won’t know how to assist you. When you say “The words in chapter two confuse me,” we have a place to start. Writing down what you don’t understand is as important as remembering what you do know. If your parents want you to do your homework at home and monitor it, keep a notebook specifically for questions about what you are learning. You will learn so much by asking questions.

3. Do your homework.

This sounds very obvious, sure, but it’s one thing that can help the most. You wouldn’t hang out playing video games all week and then think you can march the half-time show on Friday with no practice, would you? It is the same thing as with homework. Teachers say they don’t give homework because it is fun to grade. That is true. They don’t enjoy grading homework. In fact, sometimes it really gets us down. But, it is so important for your learning that we do it. They want to help you identify the areas where you and the other students struggle and give praise to where it is earned.

4. Teachers care.

All the adults in the building care about students, trust me. If they didn’t they wouldn’t have accepted the job and they would be working somewhere else. You may agree with some of the things they are doing, but ask them why they do things certain ways. You may not get an answer, but respect that. If you are struggling, ask for help. If the teacher can’t help you with an issue they usually can find someone who can. There are so many resources for students in high school to use in all areas of their lives, let them help you. This is a hard age, no doubt about that.

5. Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself, for others or for what you believe in. What I have seen from the years I’ve went to high school is that there are a lot of strong and brave people walking through those halls. I’ve seen students stand up for people who are being picked on. They have spoken out for what they believed in. I witness this more often than I see people being made fun of, I promise. It’s not always as obvious, but you won’t lose the respect of others for standing up and being brave.