High school. I’ve heard a lot of different versions of what high school was like from my family friends and people who have graduated. Some people said it was the worst four years of their life, with all the gossiping and judgment. Others said they loved it, that they had the most fun during those four years. And some people said that you just have to get through it because, in college, people are better. I don’t know what you think of your high school experience so far, but here are some tips so that you can survive it.
Tip #1, Do not procrastinate. Just don’t. It’ll only cause you high levels of stress, disappointment, and anxiety. Getting your homework and studying done and out of the way will make you so much happier. After, and not before, you get all your studying done, you are free to do whatever you want without that little voice in the back of your head saying, “You still have all your math to do, plus your quiz in English and in History, and your three worksheets for Science”. Just get it done, and when you’re done, you can watch a movie, binge watch your favorite You-Tuber, read a book, or have a dance party in celebration of being done studying.
Tip #2, Get involved. It doesn’t have to be sports, which is what most people think when they hear that in high school. It can be a club, which our school has plenty of, sports if that’s what you enjoy, or drama, which lots of people love! Getting involved will help you meet new people, make friends, and talk to people. It can also give you a community of people that share your interests.
Tip #3, Make sure that you have fun! It’s important to get good grades, but having fun is also important. Now, I don’t mean go to a party every day, because, let’s face it, you probably won’t get good grades if that happened, but give yourself time to do things that you enjoy, whether that’s baking with your friends, or having a Disney movie marathon with your family. It’s important that you give yourself enough time to relax and enjoy life. Otherwise, you’ll be stressing all the time. Having fun is a good way to de-stress from high school and all its problems.
Tip #4, Set goals for yourself. Making a list of goals is a great way to improve and better yourself as a person, emotionally and academically. You can make semester goals for yourself, or class goals if you know that one of your classes is going to challenge you majorly. Making goals for yourself is a great way to get better at something, and you’ll feel extremely accomplished when you can say that these goals were completed.
Tip #5, Have a quiet study area. Don’t study in a busy place, such as your family room, where t your dog could be barking, your brothers may be playing Jenga, and or your little sister is having a dance party. Trust me, you won’t be able to. Designate somewhere to be your study area, like the library, or your room. Have a quiet study place where you can focus and get stuff done.
Tip #6, Your grades are not you. Yes, grades are important and will determine what college you go to, but one bad grade won’t destroy your GPA. Don’t stress about it. Just make a plan so that you don’t get that grade again.
Tip #7, Have a study routine. Not having a study routine may result in binge-watching your favorite series on Netflix for 5 hours and having to stay up till 2 am to get your homework done. There is a way to to do that (probably not 5 hours though) without having to stay up till 2 in the morning. That way is … yup, having a study routine! It involves dedicating a block of time every day just for studying. If you know you have a test coming up, add some more time in. It helps to get it done as soon as you can, otherwise, you’ll just keep putting it off.
Tip #8, Get organized! I cannot stress this enough. It will be a lifesaver during exam week. A couple of things to do to get organized are having a separate binder or folder for each class and writing the date that you got the paper or started the assignment on it. Then you won’t have to worry about what paper you got first and they’ll all be in the order of chapter or unit.
Tip #9, Participate, participate, participate! Go to the football games, go to the dances, dress up when you can! These times will be some of the most fun during your high school experience, and something that you will always remember.
That’s it! I hope that these nine tips help to make your high school experience a good one. Do me a favor. Test yourself after reading this and decide whether you will watch Netflix and then do your homework, or get your homework done and then watch Netflix. If you choose to do the latter, you are one step closer to surviving high school!
Article written by Gemma Martinez
