It’s that time of year again, where a new set of “fresh meat” are released into the wild arena of high school. I can’t help but remember my very first day of high school three years ago and the nerves of suspense that filled me because I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t have any older siblings or high school friends to help guide me through the new structure of Niles West, and I think some sort of freshman advice manual would have been greatly appreciated by little me back in the day. So that’s what I’m going to try and structure today, a little manual to help guide you through your first year at Niles West, and hopefully help make your transition from junior high to high school a little easier.

1. Don’t procrastinate: I know this seems like an obvious tip, but if I really look back and evaluate my past three high school years, the biggest thing I regret is how much I procrastinated. Find a balance between friends, family, extra curricular activities and your school work. You probably won’t find that balance your freshmen year, but learn how to spread out your work instead of leaving projects and essays until the last night. I can’t stress enough how much of a difference it makes to turn in an essay that has been written in advance, drafted a few times and proofread by your teacher, rather than an essay that was written the night before and printed without any edits.

2. Get involved: If you think you got the ‘no procrastination’ thing down, this is definitely my next biggest piece of advice. Getting involved is so important your freshmen year. Try out for a sport, join a club, participate in some of the Niles West events, do anything to get involved. I think one of my biggest fears about high school was that I wasn’t going to make any friends, but the way to make friends is to join activities. One of the biggest differences between junior high and high school is the variety of activities you can join, and the people you interact with. Join activities you enjoy, and you’ll meet new people that have the enjoyment of that activity in common with you.

3. Participate in class: My next regret about my freshmen year was not participating as much in class. It’s okay to be smart, actually, it’s wonderful to be smart! In class, participation is usually a big part of your grade and for a good reason too, it helps the class become more interactive and helps you get involved with the curriculum. Don’t be scared to answer a question because you might get it wrong, that’s all part of the learning process. Participating a lot in class helps show the teachers that you are committed to learning their material and you gain a lot of their respect by always raising your hand, having a counter argument, or always being a volunteer. Be that student who always tries being involved in class.

4. Study, study, study: Ah, the art of studying….  see what I did there? We all hate it, well most of us, but it’s a big part of school. Get in good study habits now, split up studying within days, not the night before. Make flashcards, study groups, whatever way you study best, do it. Although you all are freshmen, college will come really fast, the study habits you get into in high school will carry onto college, so make sure they’re good ones.

5. Bring a jacket: This is specifically for Niles West and I’m sure after the first day, you all have noticed how Niles West likes to hide snow in their classrooms and make the building below zero. Seriously, bring a jacket. We don’t want anyone getting frostbite.

6. Challenge yourself: Some people like to ease through high school with easy A classes, but I challenge you to challenge yourself. I’ll admit it, I love learning and I love school. I always try to take hard classes to try my best in school. Breezing by high school isn’t going to do anything for you, make sure you’re trying out honors and AP classes.

7. Branch out: I get it, some of you are shy, it’s understandable. But these four years are going to fly by so fast, start branching out and trying things that you normally wouldn’t. Go to the homecoming dance, try a cultural round table, do powderpuff, try as many things as you can! High school is a time to find yourself and I think the best way to do that is through experimenting. How are you going to find something you love to do if you stay inside a bubble?

8. Hallway etiquette: If I had to say anything bad about Niles West, it would be the hallway congestion. The best way to clear some of the congestion up is to start establishing some ‘unofficial’ rules that all grades need to learn to abide by. First, don’t stop in the middle of the hallways to chat with friends, if you want to talk to a friend, take it to the side by lockers. Second, stop walking at .001 mph, speed it up a bit, and if you’re just a slow walker, please, I’m begging you, let people pass by you. No one cares if you think it’s “swaggin” to walk slow, we just want to get to class. And third, walk on the right side of the hallway. If people are walking one direction on the left side of the hallway, don’t walk on the left side in the opposite direction.

9. Go outside the classroom: Everyone needs some sort of academic help at some point, whether it be Math homework, proofreading an English essay or looking over a lab report, go beyond the classroom and get help from your teachers or your peers at the Literacy Center. Don’t be embarrassed if you need to get some help, we all need a little help at some point to get to a goal or a good grade. Utilize your resources, that’s why they are there!

10. Be yourself: Freshmen year can be an awkward time for some people (or let’s face it, everyone). But the best way to make really good friends and be your happiest is to just be yourself. High school can be a little cliquey, but I truly think that if you’re yourself,  you’ll end up finding a great set of friends and help you overcome this little awkward period.

Some say freshman year is the worst of the high school years, but I disagree. Don’t listen to other peoples “horror” stories, and start making your own good memories. Sure, you’re going to get lost over a hundred times this week, you might forget your ID some days and maybe even forget about a piece of math homework, but just remember that underclassmen or not, you’re now a part of our wolf pack, and every grade is welcoming you with open paws.