Everyone talks about high school being the major determinant of personal development during our adolescent years. In a sense, they are not entirely wrong about the significance of high school. Peer pressure, friendships, relationships, and the endless assignments you receive throughout the year all help to develop many different parts of your identity. However, while many people tell you to fear high school or ramble on about how every single part of it is a hellhole for teenagers, they don’t usually provide advice on you how to effectively navigate high school
First, welcome, class of 2030!’ I’m pretty sure most of you are quite lost, not yet knowing what to do in high school. Others amongst you may be on your way to figuring things out. The biggest mistake you can make as a freshman is closing yourself off. If any time is the time to make friends, it is NOW. High school freshmen come from an assortment of different backgrounds, and everyone is dealing with a level of uncertainty and discomfort. Reminding yourself of this shared discomfort will make you think less about the risks of putting yourself out there because there are no risks. Everyone has the same goal: find new people and make new friends. By executing this goal, you are just doing what everyone else is trying to do; after all, there is no risk in joining the collective rush to make friends if people are doing it alongside you.
Going off the topic of friendships, let’s get to some fun stuff. Extracurriculars! I honestly think this is the most important because all the fun experiences you get out of high school (friendships, awards, knowledge, & discovering new skills) are derived from the extracurriculars you’re in.
For many Marian students, the high school experience extends far outside the classroom. In a survey of 16 participants, 56.3% reported said that friends were a significant factor in helping them throughout their high school journey. Meanwhile, 25% reported extracurriculars and 12.5% credited friends. Many students reported participating in a vast range of activities including sports, theatre and speech, clubs and organizations, choir, band and color guard, with sports leading as the activity that many students participate in. The majority of students surveyed also felt that extracurriculars definitely helped them discover new interests and passions. When asked to provide freshmen with a piece of key advice there was emphasis on participating in extracurricular activities and being involved.
Extracurriculars are mainly fun because they help you discover who you are and who you want to be. Personally, coming into high school, I didn’t have a set plan for what I wanted my major to entail. I had few ideas, no thoughts, just a sprinkle of scattered ambitions. After involving myself in so many activities, I was able to distinguish between the things I was truly passionate about and the things I simply enjoyed doing in my free time. It took trying numerous sports and extracurriculars, but in the end, it was worth it to discover the common threads among the things I genuinely enjoyed.
I’m pretty sure you’ve probably guessed what the last part of this article would be about: the boring stuff, mainly your academics and grades.
Just know that this is actually amongst the most significant parts of your journey. Academics and grades are important to ensure that you have long-term success in your high school journey. I know college applications, awards, and many other academic accolades seem far less important than immersing yourself in authentic experience, but the time to move on to college comes way faster than you think. It takes consistent studying to really reach your academic goals, and even the smallest amount of daily revision every day can progress a C to an A. Furthermore, jobs, internships, and many more similar opportunities request a high school transcript. Even though no one specific grade will make the difference with an admission office, building a strong resume is crucial.
High school can be rough, but it also has its many positives. What you make of it will really determine the experiences you have. So, go to that social event that you’ve been dreading, ask your 2nd period Algebra teacher that math question, and just live in the moment because, in the blink of an eye, if you stay idle for too long, you will only realize that the experiences you’ve desired have flown right past you.