Class of 2022, the last class to get a proper freshman year. Our seniors joined us in 2018 and they’ve been through a lot in the past four years. From sports to academics, our seniors have lived through it all. They’ve gathered together some of their best advice to pass down to our underclassmen. 

Taking Care Of You

Self care is vital during your high school years. Start implementing good personal habits such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and studying a little bit each day are a just a few ways you can enrich your well being. Picking up a hobby during your four years can impact your life in ways that will leave positive change. Joining a club or sport on campus can serve as your purpose in the school to give you a further sense of community here.

“Find yourself in a new hobby, you can change your whole personality by engaging in the things that interest you, not those around you.” Here at South, we have multiple clubs, electives, and sports that you could explore in these next four years. These are all opportunities to put your story out there and to understand your peers.

MYTH: Freshman Year Grades Won’t Matter.

     When you think of 9th grade, you may see it as just an extra year of middle school, but it’s very different. In middle school, grades would not hold you back as much as they do now. The grades you get now dictate what your future schedule will look like. If you envy our seniors leaving school early and having two classes per day, you need to work hard now.

      It gets serious, Freshman year grades will set up the foundation for the rest of your high school years. A beloved senior shares, “Don’t slack off because everyone says that it won’t matter if you do well in your freshman year, because that will cause you to be a major procrastinator, and it will be a bad habit you need to work on in the future.” Basically, if you start high school with a tendency to slack off when it comes to doing your school work, you will carry that habit throughout your years here and it will seriously come back to haunt you.

      It’s vital to take advantage of the time you have in class, especially since here at South we have a block schedule with about two hours for each class. Starting your homework as soon as its assigned rather than waiting until the last minute will save you loads of stress. Oftentimes, unfinished classwork is deemed to be done at home, adding even more duties to your home life. In order to have a clear distinction between your academic and social life, you need to attend to your academic commitments first. 

     Here at South, we have the Early College Academy, which you have the option to join freshman year. A senior who participates in the ECA stated, “Don’t slack off as much when it comes to missing work. Take the ECA program more seriously.”  The ECA program gives students the opportunity to earn college credits while in high school, preparing you for college before you’re even officially there. 

    Another senior stated, “Have as much fun as you want but stay on top of your work. It all comes back to you during college apps.” Applying for college is definitely intimidating, but making sure you stay on top of your work will relieve some stress. Colleges love to see good grades on a transcript, four year colleges are often competitive, keep this in mind as you debate whether or not you should do your homework tonight. 

Don’t Get Lost In It All

      Freshman year is a time of change as you find your identity and explore new things. You will meet a lot of new people with different backgrounds and go through a lot of experiences. One thing that is vital to remember, stay true to yourself. It could be easy to get lost in the grades, gossip, and dances but you must live for you. A senior shared, “Being independent is okay. It’s not being a “loner” as you would have thought. You do you, and, please love yourself as you are. There is nothing wrong with you. It’s okay to have insecurities but they don’t define who you are. You have your future self’s support in anything you do, as long as it’s good of course.”

    Friends will come and go in high school, it’s just something to adapt to. “Focus on yourself, you don’t have to give people all your time for them to know you care.” Although it’s important to have friends and be social, don’t follow your friends, we are all on our own journey. Another senior adds, “Don’t procrastinate and be more spontaneous. Life is short lived so worry less about what is right and more about what feels right.” Essentially, be present for the moment and avoid sweating the small stuff, high school will be a memory in four years.

While it seems like your stuck here for eternity, you will soon wake up and realize its your graduation year.