Dear Incoming High School Freshmen,

The start of high school, is soon to be looked at as the start of the rest of your life. Its an incredible journey, with often lots of tears, smiles, laughs, and anger. Your journey will be different than everyones, you all might have similar happenings such as, struggling to finish AP European History with a strong grade, or struggling in chemistry, or fighting with your friends.

In high school, the first lesson you will learn is that not everyone is perfect and that prejudging people is horrendous. I still remember my first day, I was shaky and scared to meet the people from the other middle school, because I used my prejudice to blur the reality of who they were. As much as you may think high school is like what they show in movies, it's not. A lot of people have this misconception that high school is supposed to be the best experience of their life, and although it may be for some, the chances are slim. For me, it wasn't always the best of times, but I will always cherish many of the memories I have made.

High school is going to be a great experience but it may also suck at times. Teachers will always be on your back about finishing work, but its not because they are bad teachers, its because they want whats best for their students. You may think some teachers will hate you but that's their way of showing how much they care about you. You are not going to understand everything that they teach you but their job is to help you learn so do not be afraid to ask for help.

You more than likely will get into drama with your friends, but you'll probably make up a day or two later. If you never make up, it might seem like the end of the world, but trust me it isn't. You'll meet some amazing people through the hardships and you'll forget the bad times. You may not find your crowd as quickly as others and that's OK. I didn't find my good groups of friends until junior year. I don't know, the friends I have made are some of the best people and now that senior year is approaching very fast I'm scared to lose them.

Joining clubs or sports in high school is one of the best things you can do. Its a great way to make friends and feel involved so you don't look back and feel like you did nothing. One of my biggest regrets is not doing much in freshmen year. The experiences you will gain and the memories you will collect will be limitless. Every aspect of being a club member will be beneficial to you as a person and as a student.

Lastly, I hope high school will treat you well. It will be bumpy at times, but just always remember that you will get through it. There will always be people to help you and guide you, whether your friends, or even upperclassmen. Upperclassmen aren't that scary, and most will help you if you ask. There will be many amazing moments, so remember to cherish them. After all, those four years will go by so quickly that you won't even remember those bumps. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you show your fellow peers of amazing you are.

Sincerely,

An Incoming High School Senior Who Understands