I still remember my first day in high school, walking in as a small freshman and knowing not really much about how high school. So here are the 10 things that I learned the past 3 years of high school and wish I knew coming into high school.
Taking AP classes? Take the ones you're interested in
Taking AP classes looks really good on your transcript and colleges look for students who are taking challenging and advanced classes. But that does not mean you should just take them for the sake of an AP credit. AP classes involve a lot of effort, the ability to learn faster than a normal on level or honors classes, and is very demanding of your time. Take AP classes where you are actually interested in the subjects. This way, you will be able to be attentive in class and not be bored.
Friends come and go.
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Having a good friend group is important, but don't spend all your time worrying about them if someone does not come through and is not there for you. Life is all about learning, and sometimes, letting go of a friend can be a good thing.
Ask for help!
This tip is honestly one of the best ones out there for high school students and a tip I believe in so much. High school can get very confusing from knowing which classes to take to how to go the homework assignment. Asking for help can be so beneficial in so many cases. It might not seem like a big tip, but trust me on this. You cannot survive without asking for help at some point in time.
Join clubs.
Everyone told me that the best way to get connections and know people in high school is to join clubs, and I was ignorant about this tip and didn't believe it was true. So I avoided joining a lot of clubs. These clubs are there for a reason. They are there to help you meet new people and learn something new.
Pick your friends wisely.
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There are going to be people who are going to be fake towards you, so it is important to pick to you talk to and share information to carefully. There are a lot of good people who want to be there for you, but you have to watch out for the ones who bring negative energy into your life.
Work smarter, not harder.
You can sit there for hours staring at a paper and hope that you are retaining information but end up not doing well on your test. You can argue that you worked hard and studied for hours, but, in reality, you really didn't study anything. School is all about working smarter and prioritizing what you need to get done. So make a schedule or a to do list, and work with a plan.
Don't let your GPA affect your mental health too much.
There are going to be times in your high school career when you did not get the grade that you expected. When that happens, remember that one grade or a number does not define who you are. It is okay to get a bad grade, so don't let it bring you down and make you unhappy. Learn from that grade, and learn what you missed. Just do your absolute best!
Have self-control.
Students have so many distractions around us every moment of the day, so going into high school you need to know that it is important to know how to control yourself from these distractions. Prioritization is very important, so you need to know when to have fun and when to get work done. So if you have something to finish up, put away your phone and anything else that could divert your attention, and get it done.
Be realistic, and focus on your goal.
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Having a plan or a goal through high school is going to be helpful. Now, I don't mean that you need to pick a college major and know exactly what you want to do. I mean have an idea of what field you might want to go in, what you are interested in, and even what classes you might want to take. Sometimes, it's hard to be realistic about your goals. If you want to become a doctor, lay down what you might need to do and what you can do to qualify.
Grades do matter.
Last, but not least, no matter what anyone says, grades do matter. No student wants to hear this, but it is true. Little test grades that you might have not done so well in won't matter, but what matters is your cumulative average in the end. You don't have to get a perfect 100 on all your assignments, but make sure you keep up with your grade. And don't fall behind. Your grades don't define you as a person but do help you to get into the college of your dreams.
