As the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year approaches, many students are starting their freshman year of high school. This can be a nerve-racking and stressful time with the workload that the school year can bring. However, the start of the new year is also the best time to start new habits that will last for the rest of a student’s high school career.
“My advice would be to take harder classes sophomore year because I genuinely lost all motivation junior year,” said senior Delaney Emerson.
Motivation is one of the first things to slowly disappear after the novelty of the new year has settled in. This leads to assignments being left unfinished, grades slowly dropping and overly frustrated teachers and parents. When productivity fails, discipline needs to be put in place to ensure that classwork gets done on time, such as setting up a rewards system or having a work routine.
Something else for the incoming class to keep in mind is the importance of building good relationships with teachers. Students’ opinions on a class can drastically change based on how they feel about the teacher. So, even if they might not particularly like the subject, if they have respect for the teacher, their chances of succeeding in the class are much higher.
“I think something that could help them stay on top of classes is not being afraid to ask for help from teachers because that’s what they are for,” said senior Marley Chinapen. “I also recommend using all of the resources that are given because in the end they are actually really helpful.”
As important as academics are in a student’s career, extra-curriculars carry just as much importance in high school; there is a much higher variety of clubs and sports compared to middle school. This is a great time for students to sign up for new school activities they’ve never done before and an even better way to make friends as well.
The change from middle to high school can sound intimidating to many, but embracing the change and seeking the most out of it will lead to the most rewarding high school experience.
