Dear Freshmeat,

I’ve been in your spot. I remember having no idea how to navigate around the school, speeding to class and being thrown around by oncoming traffic in the halls between classes. In this whole new environment, it’s hard to adapt and fit in. With AP classes, tons of activity options and hundreds of unfamiliar peers, I get that it’s difficult to grasp everything that’s thrown at you. As a senior at the ripe old age of seventeen, I’ve learned some important things about surviving high school.

Get Involved

Most freshmen usually have a smaller circle of friends entering the high school since they’ve only been exposed to people in  their own grade. You can feel really alone with only three friends in a school with over 1,000 students enrolled. A good way to get assimilated and make new friends in the school is to join some   clubs or sports. Whether you’re a drama nerd or have a knack for chess, there are so many outlets to express yourself at the high school. I thought administrators just said this to get money from students, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. In fact, I’ve met most of my friends through extracurriculars since Solon High School’s activities are full of diverse, interesting people.  

Prioritize and Organize

Taking AP classes, keeping your grades up and having out of school commitments can be extremely difficult, especially without structure. Organizing your obligations will help you get a gauge on what you have to do each week. Having and using a planner helps immensely since you can write all of your assignments and plans in one book. Through that, you can prioritize what needs to be done first. Of course you should try to get everything done, but you’re only a kid. I put my family before school 100% of the time. Some matters are more important than school.

Use Your Resources

Solon High School offers tons of support if you’re struggling in school. There are  labs in the media center to help with specific courses and teachers who welcome students to ask for help before or after school.  There’s also guidance counselors and psychologists to help with personal matters and give you resources to use out of school. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone has their occasional struggles, and no one is expecting you to be perfect at everything. If you’re failing Chemistry, sitting around and doing nothing won’t accomplish anything. It’s better to get ahead than to fall behind in a class, so use your resources wisely.

Eat Breakfast

This one is pretty simple. Make sure you allow yourself time in the morning to eat a healthy breakfast. It will stifle cravings in class and give you some energy throughout the day. You might have to wake up early to prepare something, but losing an hour of sleep from the middle school is a big change. It’s an early start, but it will make a difference in your performance levels.

Be Yourself

Although it may not seem like it now,  the next few years go by fast. With only four years, there’s no time to waste worrying about what other people will think. In high school you will lose and make friends, make some people mad and get mad at others, it’s inevitable in a school filled with hormonal teens. No matter what happens in your high school career, always stay true to yourself. I’m entering senior year with two friends I entered freshman year with. I lost friends, but I gained more who are more compatible with me. It’s never easy to lose friends, and no one ever suspects it will happen, but in the end I’m happier with the friend group I have now. Best friends don’t have to know you for years to be your BFF, they just have to show they care. In twenty years you won’t remember what shoes were popular now or what drama you had in high school, you’ll remember the memories you made with your true friends.

If you could take anything away from this letter, I hope it’s that you  find methods that help to keep you on the right track to happiness and success. You don’t have to heed my every word, but I want to give you some advice  I wish I had  going into this huge school. Finally, stay organized, try your hardest and have fun these next four years. It flies by, I swear.

-Madison McGirr, an SHS senior