ADVICE FROM A SENIOR TO A FRESHMAN

Parents, close your eyes and go back in time………..

Go back to your first day of high school.  Go back to your first day in college.  Go back to that feeling of apprehension, of nerves, of the unknown about what you were about to face.  If you are like me, a chill might have gone up your spine as you remember experiencing a gamete of emotions.  You are excited to see and meet new friends and start new classes with new teachers, but at the same time you are worried about where you are to go, are you going to be able to do your schoolwork, and most importantly, are you going to like this new stage in your life? 

Now come back to the present…

You did it!  You made it through high school, through college, and like most of us, you most likely look back on those days with great fondness and think about those moments being some of the best days of your life.  So many lessons in life were learned during that time.

But what could you do to help current students?  The answer to this question is the main point of this blog.  What lessons and advice could you give to a new freshman just starting this new chapter in life?  Below are tips “from a senior to a freshman” in hopes of making the experience even better than what you remember.  Please share with your rising freshmen and other high schoolers.  All teens could use this great advice.

1. Develop good study habits

Never underestimate the benefit of studying. I know it’s boring, but it really has huge long-term effects. Take my situation, for example. When I first took the SAT in April, I got a 1310. I wasn’t satisfied with my score, so I decided to take on the responsibility to study and raise my score. It was worth it in the end. After taking at least an hour out of every weekday for a few months, I was able to score a 1460 on my second attempt.

Be mindful that you must be willing to commit, especially if you are studying for a specific exam. It is imperative that you be consistent with your studying. You might not know how to study, and that’s okay. There really isn’t one way to study. Everyone studies differently, so you just need to find your way.

2. Manage your tasks and time well

It doesn’t matter how smart you are; if you are not organized, it is very easy to lose track of what you need to do. You might go home and do your homework quickly so you can relax for the rest of the day, go to school the next morning, and realize you forgot to do that math worksheet you got from your teacher. If you don’t take it upon yourself to manage your tasks, one missing assignment might turn into multiple. You can take note of all your assignments for the day and set reminders so that you don’t forget to do them later.

Along with keeping your objectives together, you need to have a steady time management. If you don’t use your time wisely, you will find yourself forgetting assignments, procrastinating to do them, or not doing them at all. To avoid this, you should create a schedule dictating how your day will play out. You’ll wake up at a certain time, eat breakfast, leave for school, come home and maybe take a little break, do your work, study, and relax for the rest of the day. However, you want to make sure that your time is organized.  To help get organized with your assignments, click HERE for an organizational tool.

3. Try to limit your social media use

I know this sounds lame, but social media can be messy, especially in high school. Your classmates might use it to cyberbully others or spread information to publicly shame others. Of course, this is not the only reason high school students use social media, but it is entirely possible. I understand that you would want to use social media to stay connected with your friends, and nothing is wrong with that. Just make sure that you don’t get addicted, or that you don’t get wrapped up in any scandals.

4. Study for the SAT as early as possible

If you plan on going to college after high school, then this is a must. The SAT is one of the most important factors that colleges consider when deciding whether they want to offer you admission. The SAT is also not a hard test, and there are certain tricks you can use to get around and maximize your score. The SAT doesn’t test you on how smart you are, it tests you on how well you can take the test. As long as you put in enough study time, you will get a high score. Click HERE to get an SAT/ACT Essential Student Guide. 

5. Stay on good terms with the teachers

You don’t have to be best friends with all the teachers but getting along with the teachers and staying on their good side has its benefits. For instance, if you ever miss an assignment or do poorly on one and want to make it up, the teacher might give you the opportunity just because you are on good terms with them. Keeping a good relationship with your teachers goes a long way.

6. Maintain Your Goals

 When you get lazy, you don’t show your true potential, thus you don’t receive your true rewards. No matter how you think you’re doing in school, you don’t want to lose care. When you stop caring, you perform worse than you should. This doesn’t just apply to school; it applies to everything. If you have a goal, don’t throw it away. Work towards that goal, and don’t stop until you’ve reached it. If you made a goal, you knew you could achieve it. High school will be exhausting at times; I’m being completely honest. It will be stressful, and you might feel like tapping out. But the ones at the top are the ones who didn’t give up. They pushed through and came out stronger. I promise it will all be worth it in the end. Whatever you do… Don’t. Give. Up.  Click HERE to get a SMART Goals Planner for your child to use in setting goals.

Life is full of memories and experiences that will forever be cherished.  Using the advice of this senior will hopefully ensure all of us can look back at our educational career with great pleasure and joy.

Parents, close your eyes and go back in time………..

Go back to your first day of high school.  Go back to your first day in college.  Go back to that feeling of apprehension, of nerves, of the unknown about what you were about to face.  If you are like me, a chill might have gone up your spine as you remember experiencing a gamete of emotions.  You are excited to see and meet new friends and start new classes with new teachers, but at the same time you are worried about where you are to go, are you going to be able to do your schoolwork, and most importantly, are you going to like this new stage in your life?

Now come back to the present…

You did it!  You made it through high school, through college, and like most of us, you most likely look back on those days with great fondness and think about those moments being some of the best days of your life.  So many lessons in life were learned during that time.

But what could you do to help current students?  The answer to this question is the main point of this blog.  What lessons and advice could you give to a new freshman just starting this new chapter in life?  Below are tips “from a senior to a freshman” in hopes of making the experience even better than what you remember.  Please share with your rising freshmen and other high schoolers.  All teens could use this great advice.

1. Develop good study habits

Never underestimate the benefit of studying. I know it’s boring, but it really has huge long-term effects. Take my situation, for example. When I first took the SAT in April, I got a 1310. I wasn’t satisfied with my score, so I decided to take on the responsibility to study and raise my score. It was worth it in the end. After taking at least an hour out of every weekday for a few months, I was able to score a 1460 on my second attempt.

Be mindful that you must be willing to commit, especially if you are studying for a specific exam. It is imperative that you be consistent with your studying. You might not know how to study, and that’s okay. There really isn’t one way to study. Everyone studies differently, so you just need to find your way.

2. Manage your tasks and time well

It doesn’t matter how smart you are; if you are not organized, it is very easy to lose track of what you need to do. You might go home and do your homework quickly so you can relax for the rest of the day, go to school the next morning, and realize you forgot to do that math worksheet you got from your teacher. If you don’t take it upon yourself to manage your tasks, one missing assignment might turn into multiple. You can take note of all your assignments for the day and set reminders so that you don’t forget to do them later.

Along with keeping your objectives together, you need to have a steady time management. If you don’t use your time wisely, you will find yourself forgetting assignments, procrastinating to do them, or not doing them at all. To avoid this, you should create a schedule dictating how your day will play out. You’ll wake up at a certain time, eat breakfast, leave for school, come home and maybe take a little break, do your work, study, and relax for the rest of the day. However, you want to make sure that your time is organized.  To help get organized with your assignments, click HERE for an organizational tool.

3. Try to limit your social media use

I know this sounds lame, but social media can be messy, especially in high school. Your classmates might use it to cyberbully others or spread information to publicly shame others. Of course, this is not the only reason high school students use social media, but it is entirely possible. I understand that you would want to use social media to stay connected with your friends, and nothing is wrong with that. Just make sure that you don’t get addicted, or that you don’t get wrapped up in any scandals.

4. Study for the SAT as early as possible

If you plan on going to college after high school, then this is a must. The SAT is one of the most important factors that colleges consider when deciding whether they want to offer you admission. The SAT is also not a hard test, and there are certain tricks you can use to get around and maximize your score. The SAT doesn’t test you on how smart you are, it tests you on how well you can take the test. As long as you put in enough study time, you will get a high score. Click HERE to get an SAT/ACT Essential Student Guide.

5. Stay on good terms with the teachers

You don’t have to be best friends with all the teachers but getting along with the teachers and staying on their good side has its benefits. For instance, if you ever miss an assignment or do poorly on one and want to make it up, the teacher might give you the opportunity just because you are on good terms with them. Keeping a good relationship with your teachers goes a long way.

6. Maintain Your Goals

When you get lazy, you don’t show your true potential, thus you don’t receive your true rewards. No matter how you think you’re doing in school, you don’t want to lose care. When you stop caring, you perform worse than you should. This doesn’t just apply to school; it applies to everything. If you have a goal, don’t throw it away. Work towards that goal, and don’t stop until you’ve reached it. If you made a goal, you knew you could achieve it. High school will be exhausting at times; I’m being completely honest. It will be stressful, and you might feel like tapping out. But the ones at the top are the ones who didn’t give up. They pushed through and came out stronger. I promise it will all be worth it in the end. Whatever you do… Don’t. Give. Up.  Click HERE to get a SMART Goals Planner for your child to use in setting goals.

Life is full of memories and experiences that will forever be cherished.  Using the advice of this senior will hopefully ensure all of us can look back at our educational career with great pleasure and joy.