Going into highschool next year, advice?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Marks are NOT everything. High school is NOT everything. Way to put pressure on, emacknight. Sheesh.

Mind you, grades are more important than the right clothes and much of that other junk. But don’t overstate the importance of high school. Keep perspective, like someone else said. Hard as it can be, it’s worth it.
To wit: a subpar test does not equal failing a class does not equal being rejected from the college you want does not equal your life is ruined. One of the South Park guys makes some very trenchant comments about this in Bowling for Columbine, actually - who you are in high school is NOT who you are for the rest of your life, don’t make too much of it.

Being yourself and seeking the truth is a great motto for life, not just high school. Play the game when you have to, but don’t be afraid. Don’t let certain people (mostly administrators, but the odd teacher as well) trample on you because they think they can. They are there to help you. They may forget it, but it’s YOUR education. Know your rights. I suppose this lesson is the main one I wish I’d known in high school - not that everyone was out to get me or anything. Just that as a kid in high school, you’re a bit afraid of the administrators and other jerks - bullies and things. They can really only hurt you as much as you let them, try not to give trivial things too much importance.

I’d say be friendly, be social, but be yourself. People who reject you for being nice and honest aren’t worth having around in the first place.

Do some activities - don’t resume-build compulsively, 'cuz it’s annoying ;), but try things that interest you and get involved with the ones that matter. You DO NOT need to pick a career by any stretch. But activities were what made high school worthwhile for me. There’s some room for nearly consequence-free experimentation in high school (I’m NOT talking about sex here, if you want to do that, be careful) when it comes to activities. When it comes to people, treat them well and you could make some very important friendships.

22

I’m in grade 10, and I would just like to tell you that high school is Hell. The teachers don’t give a shit about you, everything you do is critisezed by everyone else, and people are CRUEL.
Best of Luck to you.

:slight_smile:

23

I graduated two years ago, and my sister’s finishing up her freshman year. Here’s some combined advice from the two of us.

Keep a balance between grades and a social life. Grades are important, yeah–there’s no getting around that. But some of high school is learning how to deal with other people, and how to have friends and all that. The balance is up to you, but try to include both rather than including one and saying “screw this” to the other.

Be careful. While high school isn’t the end-all and be-all of everything, high school and college afford you the unique opportunity to make the rest of your life much more difficult. Try to think about both the benefits and the risks of your actions. You’re going to be much more responsible for your actions, now; I know that’s said a lot, but it’s true. You’re going to have a lot of opportunities to do things like drink, or use drugs, or have sex. You have to decide whether you’re not going to do any of these or whether you’re going to do some or all of them, and, if you are going to do some or all of them, whether you’re going to go about it in a responsible manner. Some basically good advice for both high school and college (and life, incidentally):

If you are going to drink, do not drive, and do so responsibly. Do not drink so much that you need to go to the hospital; do not drink so much that you pass out. And, for God’s sake, stay AWAY from the Everclear.

If you are going to have sex, use protection–in other words, a condom. It will help prevent both pregnancy and STDs. And–speaking from experience–find out how to put one on properly beforehand. Also, if possible, try to get your partner to use birth control pills/the shot–it’s another layer of protection. But always, ALWAYS use a condom.

If you are going to do anything illegal, DO NOT GET CAUGHT. Some things are easier to get caught at than others. Having marijuana every two months at a party is a lot different than lighting up a joint every day, and lighting up a joint every day is a lot different than shooting heroin. Personally, I don’t think these things are worth your time, and they’re way the hell overpriced, and they’re illegal, and drug laws are really strict. But, if you’re going to, do so responsibly. Don’t drive under the influence. Don’t do it at school. Don’t go hog wild.

Finally, no matter what people say, high school is NOT hell. It can suck, but so can life. It’ll be fine, and you’ll probably live through it :).

24

Here is some practical advice and you later you will say, “Thank god I listened to Lindsay, she was such a help.”

–Get a good backpack. With about a million pockets and good zippers and stuff. Something that will last.

–Actually get supplies, and make sure you have them. People will love you if you are prepared. You will meet so many people by lending them things. My backpack is also my office supply store. Here are the things you should have:
~glue stick
~scissors
~colored pencils
~a little stapler with staples
~index cards
~extra pens and pencils
~mechanical pencil lead
~white out
~paper
~Silly Putty (because everyone loves Silly Putty, it is a great way to zone out during class.)

Store all this stuff in one of your million pockets in your bag.

–USE YOUR LOCKER: You do not have to carry around 6 books and notebooks. You will break your back. Only carrying the books you need will make your life so much easier.

–Keep your locker and bag clean. It is a pain to have to look through a billion pieces of crap to find one paper.

–Get a divided folder and use it. Also, get a planner and use it.

–A bunch of other stuff I forgot.

E-mail me and I can help even more. rubylite12@aol.com

Oh, and all upperclassmen act like they hate freshmen. They don’t. We like you individualy, but in large groups you can be annoying.

25

I second the good backpack thing. Get a big one, but not one that is TOO big, because then you start to fill it, and you end up hurting your back and being tired and miserable. And I agree that using your locker is a must . My locker, alongside those of my best friends, became “shrines” to ourselves and the things we loved, the things that made us us. Not in a self-centred way, but it was a space that was ours, and that was important to us. Put up pictures, or song lyrics, or poetry, or whatever you want to make that little space yours, if that’s something that will make you happier.

Play. It sounds silly, but take if from someone who did it and doesnt regret it: do the Bunny Hop down the hallway, or play Duck Duck Goose (the game, not the SDMB poster!), or bring in balloons and cake for birthdays, or sing Broadway Tunes at recess, or get a big blanket and curl up in the corner with all your friends at noonhour (though our principal asked us not to do that because he “couldn’t see what was happening under the blanket” :rolleyes: ). We got lots of weird looks from people (oddly, when I was a senior, the younger kids gave us the you-are-so-uncool-you-freaks looks, and it just made us laugh, because they just didn’t understand that it wasn’t about how we looked to THEM, but about how we felt about US.

Carpool. Its good for the environment, and you can stop and get breakfast at your local CheapBreakfastDiner. Get your Yearbook. Youĺl want as many signatures as you can get (even the people you barely know) and you’ll look back on it in later years. Join the school play. Failing that, get your friend to do it, so you can go to rehearsals anyways and go to the cast party on closing night.

Make friends. Even if its only one or two - make friends. My best friends from high school are still my best friends, though its only been 5 years since, I have a feeling these friendships will last. I wasn’t popular in high school. I rarely had the latest styles (I was such a scrooge, I rarely spent (spend) money on clothes). I didn’t have a boyfriend. I didn’t listen to the “cool” music (how was Nine Inch Nails not cool?). I was smart, and a bit of a bookworm, and horribly, near-debilitatingly shy. I’ve worked very hard to break out of my shell, and sometimes it works, sometimes I feel like my first day in that big building, but in the end…I was who I was.

Tell you what, though. I lied to myself about who I was, for about a year. I drank a lot, and smoked pot, and hung out with “friends” who I will likely never see again - the kind that come and go when you disagree with them. I don’t regret that, since it was a HUGE learning experience about who I was. Thats what high school is for. “Book knowledge”, but also “self knowledge” - find out the beginnings of who you are, and grow into that person throughout high school, and college or university, and throughout the rest of your life (though I’m only at the university stage). I wasn’t that person, who did all the “bad stuff” - but I know more of who I am because I tried it. I am NOT saying to go out and do drugs, and drink, or sleep around, but I am also saying that you shouldn’t be too scared of yourself to test your limits, in order to discover yourself.

Gah, sorry this is so long. I was talking about my high school experience earlier today, so a lot of this is in my mind at the moment. I often complained, I often said it was "HELL!! but the fact of the matter is, looking back on it now, it was pretty damn cool, for me.

26

Yeah, I’d like to back up the play thing that mnemosyne said. I have 7-8 superballs in my bag, along with Silly Putty, a voodoo doll (his name is Jeremy, and he is whoever I want him to be), and some crosswords and stuff.

Play hackysack in the hallway, give your friends piggybacks, play cards at lunch. It is the best, and you’ll probably learn better if you can relax sometime during the day.

27

I will demonstrate the validity of the second part of Miss Magic’s theory by criticizing her spelling. :wink:

So from what she says, high school is just like life! Don’t let anyone tell you high school doesn’t prepare you for the real world, right? Right. :rolleyes:

28

My advice: listen to all those mean adult-type people. Specifically your parents, teachers, counselors, etc. They really do have your best interests at heart, and they really do know better, because of life experience. I know it’s hard to believe, but your parents and teachers ARE smarter than you. Listen to them, and you will go far.

29

I’m finishing my first year soon so I’ll tells you whats working for me.
Be Nice. Don’t be a jerk. Just say hi or nod to people you know in the hallway, talk to people you don’t know, people who you think have nothing you can relate to may end up being good friends. Word spreads fast, and if you make a good impression on someone, that soon move to their friends and then on to others. Same for if you’re a jerk.
Join a the team of a sport you like, or at least try out. Its a good chance to meet some people.
Make bad jokes and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
Be friends with the teachers. Joke around, get into debates, question opinions. You learn more if your being taught by someone you like.
Don’t crap out in your studies. Its not the end of the world if you don’t get 80%'s but you’ll want to at least do your best. Do your homework and attend classes.
Don’t take crap from anyone. If a kids being a jerk point it out to them. You sound like the type that could just give a bully a look that’ll shut them up for good. Also don’t let people around you get bullied, being the one who sticks up for the little guy does wonders for your reputation.
Don’t play with girls emotions, don’t lead them on. If you like one, ask her out. If you don’t leave her be.
Everyone needs to unwind, don’t be afraid to just go nuts for a day. When I was paticularly stressed one day, I came to school dressed as a richsaw driver and yelled profanity in french. I ended the day screaming out the song that never ends at the top of our lungs in my last class. Pissed the teacher off, but made it a fun and memorable day.
Smile and have fun.

30

[ul]DO NOT DROP OUT[/ul]

31

Hm, what can I say that hasn’t been said six times already…

Learn to juggle. Carry three juggling balls or hackeysacks in your backpack. It’s easy to pick up even if you’re horribly uncoordinated, it gives you something to do if you have a few minutes to kill, and (cue sappy music) it stays with you for a lifetime. More importantly, if someone watches you and asks you to teach them, go right ahead. It’s a great icebreaker.

And listen to what folks have said above. If it sounds like people are preaching to you, it’s because they do have experiences to share.

32

~ Stay organized, and don’t let your grades slip. (important, but…)
MORE IMPORTANTLY
~ Know your teachers. I have so many teachers who love(d) me, and it’s cause I treated 'em like people. And they’ll open up and tell you stories. Like about their awesome tattoo, or the time they threw a chicken through a fan (accident!!) or meaningful stories, like my sociology teacher did. They’ll open up and treat you like people.
~ Same with Administration. If you don’t hassle them, they don’t wanna spend the time to hassle you!
~ Theatre kids are fun, if slightly heathenistic heh…heh.
(MOST IMPORTANT) (for this year)
~ Just don’t tell anyone you’re a freshman. Worked phenomenally for me. I mean, if they ask, tell em, but just start up conversation without being “I’m a freshman, have mercy, please?”

33

Don’t sell out. Not for friends, not for teachers, not for parents, not for ANYONE. Stand up for who you are, even if it gets you in trouble.

And take Mark Twain’s advice, “Don’t let school get in the way of your education.”

34

Cyberhawk said almost exactly what I was going to, and far more succinctly and eloquently, but allow me to throw in yet another $0.02

  1. Develop a circle of friends, it’ll make everything far better
  2. T-Shirts. I cannot overstate my opinion of t-shirts that are something other than walking billboards for Abercrombie & Fitch. Get ones for bands you like, movies you like, ones with funny stuff on it, whatever, just don’t sell out. They’re also great conversation starters, which helps with points 1&3.
  3. Date (or try to date) as many people as you can
  4. Do your work, but not to the exclusion of a social life
  5. Have a social life. Go to concerts, parties, races, whatever you’re into, and don’t be afraid to go to things you aren’t sure if you’ll like.
  6. Keep a sense of proportion. In the long run, most likely nothing that will happen is really very important, or at least not important enough to freak out about if it doesn’t work out well.
35

I may be an oddity, but my high school experience was not hellish. In fact, I rather enjoyed high school (even while I was in it) except for the stress of applying for colleges toward the end. Actually, that really wasn’t so bad. I just took things way too seriously back then.

So, my first piece of “advice” is: Do Not Take Things Too Seriously. That probably goes for life in general, which is something I’m still learning, some 14 years post-high school. I’ll refrain from reciting Baz Luhrman’s speech.

Seriously, you have to trial and error & balance the interests of your future with those of immediate gratification. If you are planning to go to college, grades are extremely important, but not at the risk of your health or sanity. (Even if you are not college-bound, I still think it’s important to do the best you can, plus you never know.) Join clubs that interest you, not necessarily clubs that look good on the college app. You’ll find people with common interest that way to boot.

Be respectful of adults - your teachers, the principal. You don’t have to stay afterschool and clean the chalkboard, but don’t be an intentional wiseass, either.

I went to a public high school w/ ~600 in my class. Our “career counsellors” were of no help whatsoever, so I can’t comment on this.

Shun/ignore labels of any sort. They’re not worth your time & energy. (Uh, by “labels” I mean things like “popular” or “nerd” or “band geek”, not Ralph Lauren, if that’s your thing.)

Do what you want (as long as it’s not illegal) – if you want to hang w/ the “cool kids” go ahead. If you want to attend a school dance, have a ball! As someone else already mentioned, don’t sell out or change who you fundamentally are on the inside.

Lastly, as for the fear that you won’t be able to make friends, just remember that there are more incoming freshman than you know who feel exactly as you do. Some may come into high school with an established group of friends from middle school (which will often change), but everyone is a freshman.

36

High school in the US in one of the most interesting experiences I know of.

My advise:

  1. Be organized. Don’t lose your homework, don’t lie that you lost your homework. Be prepared during class, and your teachers might cut you some slack in those (hopefully) rare instances when you couldn’t handle something.

  2. Make friends. Not…acquaintances. Acquaintances are good, but they won’t stand up for you at lunch time when the popular girl/guy does something nasty to you to make him/herself look cool.

  3. Don’t do drugs.

  4. Don’t do drugs. Stay away from cigarettes and drinking, too. They are all illegal at your age, and can screw up more than your weekend.

  5. Don’t worry about girlfriends, but don’t run from them either. It’s important to learn about relationships at some point, and 30 years old ain’t it.

  6. Backpack–good point–Jansport, $30-40, will last you a few years.

  7. Join something…join lots of things. I was in Model UN, the band, Debate, and Drama. I got to know a LOT of different people (including people from all over the US and a few foreign countries) and learned about a lot of things.

  8. A car gets you from A to B. If you have one, consider yourself lucky. Honestly, no one cares if it’s a hunk of junk. Their car is too.

  9. YMMV on this one. Don’t wear brand new clothes on the first day of school. That’s how we spotted Freshmen at my school.

  10. IF your teacher is REALLY REALLY REALLY wrong, consult another teacher or your parents about how to handle the situation. Don’t get into a pissing contest with them, you won’t win. There WILL be teachers that don’t like you.

  11. No two English teachers will grade your papers the same way.

  12. Your history teacher doesn’t care if you put a comma or two in the wrong place, but he/she does care if you get the date right. :slight_smile:

I may think of more later…but you are bored with me already, I’m sure.

~J

37

Yes, definitely. And especially don’t do that illegal stuff while you’re actually at school. You’ll just end up looking like a complete moron because you will get caught eventually, probably through your own stupidity. A classmate of mine was expelled 2 weeks ago, 2 weeks before our graduation, because he was caught with drugs on campus. I don’t even want to think about some of the other people I’ve had the “privilege” of attending classes with.

And start off every semester by doing your work. It establishes a good reputation, allowing you to slack off a bit (a bit) occasionally without screwing over your average.

38

As an outgoing Senior, I’d have to give you this advice:

Enjoy every precious moment of being stuck in that place, because after 4 years you will be booted out on your ass into the real world, even if you aren’t ready for it.

39

I’ll third the “be a hard worker” sentiment. I got my homework in on a regular basis and got good grades. In return, I got away with a lot of stuff no one would get away with were they a C student.

40

No matter what anyone tells you, you are NOT going to change the world. Emulate those who are already successful.

Ignore all issues of social status among your fellow teenagers. As far as you are concerned, THEY have to fit in with YOU. My experience is that they’ll respect you for your independence.

Stay away from other people’s girlfriends… no matter what she looks like, it’s not worth the hassle.
In fact, don’t take any crap from a girl… the manipulative ones, the demanding ones, etc. They’re not worth the hassle.

Never be afraid to speak up when everyone else around you is sitting mute because they’re too self-conscious. Most teachers LIKE it when students ask questions, make comments, or otherwise prove that SOMEBODY out there is paying attention. You’ll be a LOT less bored, too.

If any person or group seems like they might be trouble… they probably are. Stay away from them.

Don’t get any tattoos on any part of your body that shows when you’re wearing a suit. They’ll come back to haunt you later. Also, don’t pierce anything. It’s a silly fad that you’ll feel stupid about very soon.

No matter how good a boxer you are, don’t get in any fights you can possibly avoid. You’ll beat a guy, then his six friends will find you and kick the crap out of you in the parking lot.
Also, no matter how badly outnumbered you may be, the school will likely punish you for defending yourself. Mine always did.

Regardless of the current fads, dress neatly… the classy girls like that! :slight_smile: