Tips for Freshmen

As I’m approaching my senior year of high school, I want to share some tips I wish I knew when I was approaching freshman year.

Study

If you’re anything like me, you don’t have to study to get a good grade; you become accustomed to this mentality that you’ll always receive a good grade, but that doesn’t work as you get older. Certain subjects are impossible to pass an exam without proper preparation; if you continue doing this as you get older you’ll never understand the studying mechanisms that work the best for you! You will be faced with more struggle going through classes like physics or calculus, and you’ll be exhausted.

Clubs

Freshman year is the best year to make new friends because many other freshmen will lose their “clique” because of their schedule. It’s not always easy to approach people yourself; joining extracurriculars is easier to help you build relationships without you even having to initiate it! Also, getting involved in extracurriculars now is much preferred in college admissions, so you’re not cramming it all in your junior or senior year (like me).

Teachers

I wish I was more familiar with recommendation letters as a freshman because I missed out on building long-term relationships with my teachers. Recommendations letters are required in most universities, so it’s important to start connecting with teachers now, asking what electives they teach so you can get them for another year. Although recommendation letters from your freshmen teachers aren’t preferred, if you can reach out to them at least a few times a year, they will say yes when you ask! I would also suggest pursuing extra help if you have a hard time connecting to teachers. Going to extra help as a group or 1 on 1 will earn you some points with your teachers while preparing you for upcoming exams.

Relationships

I’m sure we’ve all heard the ongoing joke about seniors going after freshmen, but unfortunately, it is very common. The age gap could go as far as a 13-year-old with an 18-year-old and in many scenarios, it’s not appropriate. The age gap would inevitably cause a power dynamic where the freshman would follow what the senior is doing, like skipping classes. Now, skipping classes is not okay but skipping classes when you’ve already been accepted into college compared to someone skipping who just got on the college admissions radar is two different things. Seniors not doing homework, killing their gpa after they’ve already submitted their application compared to a freshman killing their GPA their first year of high school, which would be extremely hard to earn back in the future. Once you started this habit, it will be difficult to break the cycle. Please prioritize your education over anything else; although all of this sounds cool now, once you’re in your senior year struggling to get your diploma, then it won’t be as cool.