4 ways to Survive Your Freshman Year in High School!

Ayee guysss! I'm back with a new post todayyy! Cx

I was just surfing the internet and reading different posts on High School life and all. Well, then this article came up about surviving your freshman year in HS. This article was pretty interesting and it was worth reading, since I'll be a freshman this year. Not only me, but many other teenagers, so I was really inspired by this post and I thought I would share the post here too. xD

1. Being One Step Ahead of the Game:

Method 1: Don't skip out on orientation. Not only will it make you more comfortable in your new school environment, and get you used to a few teachers, but you can also use orientation as a social opportunity.

• Look sharp. Wear your normal clothes, but make sure to put some effort into your appearance and hygiene. You only get to make one first impression.

Method 2: Make friends before school starts. If you're lucky enough to already know a bunch of people going to your high school, then great. Then you can talk to your friends in advance, ask about their schedules, and see who can sit with you at lunch. You can also be bold; make friends with kids at your swim club, at the mall, or from your summer soccer league. You'll feel much more comfortable in school if you do.

• If you're the new kid, don't worry. You won't be the only one.

Method 3: Get to know your school's map. This may sound a little dorky, but don't underestimate how much more comfortable you'll feel at your new school if you actually know where you're going on the first day. Not only should you pay attention in orientation, but you should grab a map of the school if you can, so you can begin to figure out the best way to move from class to class. Figuring out how to make those precious 3-4 minutes during passing period count can help you eliminate stress and get to class on time.

2.  Surviving Socially:

Method 1: Be especially outgoing at first. Though freshmen in high school aren't quite as outgoing as freshmen on a college campus, you should still try your hardest to be friendly before people fall into their normal social circles and are less open to meeting someone new. So, say hi to the girl in your French class, be friendly with your new lab partner, and get to know the people in your home room -- you may be sitting next to them for the next four years, after all.

• Get to know the people in your gym class. You may not run in to some of them academically.
• Make new friends with people who sit at your lunch table.

Method 2: Try out different social groups. Though you may be worried about finding the place and group where you really fit in right away, you should explore your options as much as you can. There will be the popular kids, the nerds, the cool nerds, the jocks, the stoners, and all of the other groups you may come to expect -- but you don't have to neatly fit into one category. Don't jump to conclusions and get to know as many people as you can first.

• Though many people do remain friends with the same social group throughout high school, social dynamics and circumstances do change. If you find that your new social group isn't the right fit for you after a few months but made no effort to get to know anyone else, then you'll be out of luck.
• Being as involved as you can in a variety of clubs and sports can help you broaden your horizons and meet as many people as possible.
• Though it's important to be open-minded, try avoiding the kind of people who will get you into trouble by making you smoke, cut class, or cheat on tests.

Method 3: Avoid dating for a while. Though you may have met your dream lover in your first period physical science class, it's wiser to hold off before you start sending the kid any love notes. If you get wrapped up in a high school relationship right away, you won't have time to branch out, make friends, and figure out what actually makes you happy. Also, let's face it: 98% of high school relationships don't last, so you could put yourself in an awkward situation when you break up and all you have are mutual friends. (Okay, why am I laughing at this so hard, but -cough- seriously it's a tip ok.) xDD

3. Surviving Academically:

Method 1: Be respectful to your teachers. You may think that it's cool and funny to be mean to your chemistry teacher, but when your midterm grade rolls around and your C+ was not rounded to a B-, you'll have another thing coming. Though you won't love all of your teachers, it greatly benefits you to be polite to them, show up to their classes on time and at least act interested in course material. Sleeping in class is highly unadvised.

• When you apply to college, you'll need several teacher recommendations, so it's better to start building your relationships early.

Method 2: Do your homework.  (This might sound lame, but this is for the best you know.) This should be obvious, but it isn't. Don't do your homework on the bus on the morning of school, or in homeroom, either. Take the time to diligently do your homework right after school, in study hall, or when you get home after extra-curricular activities. Make sure that you really get it done instead of just doing the bare minimum and forgetting key information. Plus, this practice will help you to study for the test.

• And if you're struggling with your homework, don't be embarrassed to get extra help after school.

Method 3:  Get organized. The everything folder won't fly in high school, so make sure you have binders for every subject (or divide a binder for two classes), multiple notebooks, and folders for every class. Label each folder carefully, and go through your things at the end of every day to make sure that you haven't misplaced any papers.

• Part of being organized is having an organized locker. Make sure your books are neatly stacked in it, not sloppily thrown in.
• Have a planner. This will help you know in advance when you'll have a busy week and to plan ahead for tests and other events.

4. Surviving After School: 

Method 1: Join a club or two. Find something that you really care about and join a club that can help you explore your interests. There will be dozens of clubs to choose from, such as newspaper, yearbook, poetry, French and Spanish, ski club, and so on. Picking one or two clubs that you can really focus on and devote your time to is better than picking five or six just so you can put them on your résumé. Clubs will not only make you a more well-rounded person, but you can meet some great friends at them along the way.

• It's okay to start off with five or six clubs -- you can see which ones you like the most and drop the rest.
• Check out Key Club, the volunteering club at most high schools.
• Remember that not all clubs are created equal. Yearbook, for example, can take up much more of your free time than other clubs that only meet once or twice a month, so make sure you don't get overwhelmed.
• Make it something you're genuinely interested in, not just something that you think will make you "look cool". If you have no interest in anime yet join the Anime Society, that's an hour or so spent on something you could be enjoying!

Method 2: Try a sport. If you're completely not an athletic person, then don't worry about joining a sport. But if there are a few sports you already play or which you'd like to try, then join a sport. Not only will you make new friends, but you'll be staying healthy and developing a stable routine -- studies show that student athletes actually get higher grades than non-athletes.

• Just remember that a sport is a big commitment, much bigger than the commitment required by many clubs. If you're doing a sport, or especially if you're doing three sports year-round (one for every season), then don't bite off more than you can chew by also joining five clubs.

Method 3: Don't be a jerk to your parents. Though you may not exactly be best friends with Mom and Dad during your freshman year of high school, you should treat your parents like your friends, not your enemies. After all, they cook for you, they give you rides, and they probably give you some of the spending money you need to go to the mall with your buddies. So don't look back on your life and regret being mean to your parents just because you were moody or because your crush rejects you.

• Having your parents on your side will make your high school experience much better than having them against you

So that's it for now. I hope you guys read my post and find it helpful enough. Some of you might think this is pretty lame, but seriously no matter how confident you are about the first day of High School or like you can do this freshman year like a piece of cake, you can do it, but I would suggest not being over confident and you just need to be cool and follow these tips. So that's pretty much it, i don't wanna make this post anymore longer. xD Hope you guys have an amazing first dayy! :')) See ya guyss laterr! Stay cool and beautiful! xxx -Julie