I know that high school may seem like this big daunting thing that is super scary and stressful. I can tell you from personal experience that while it can get stressful at times, it truly isn’t as bad as it seems. I have complied some tips that I have learned along the way that I wish freshman me had and I wanted to share them with you today.

1. Time Management

I know this may seem cliche but I truthfully believe this is the one thing that will lead you to success. Time management doesn’t mean getting a planner out and planning out every single second of your day, it could just mean writing a reminder in your phone about when an assignment is due. I cannot stress the importance of using your phone as an academic tool. I personally like to use my phones calendar as a reminder system because I can set it to be a lock screen widget. I can say that the calendar has saved me stress more times then I can count.

2. Join Clubs!

Another cliche but it really is true. Clubs are the way to make yourself stand out in a crowd. I know thinking about college right now may seem scary but thinking about the little things you can start freshman year that your future self will thank you for is very important. I personally didn’t start joining clubs until my Junior year and that is when you should be going for leadership positions and trying to make your extra curriculars stronger. If your school provides it, I think CSF or California Scholarship Federation, is the best club to join your freshman year. It is a volunteering based club which means it teaches you how to time manage as well as make an impact on the community!

3. Try Sports Out

Now, I’m not saying go all into sports and make that the only thing on your mind, but if you generally are not an athletic person, joining a no cut sport may help boost your athleticism and make more friends. I decided to give a no cut sport a try my Sophomore year and I can say that some of my best friends came out of that sport. Remember, if you don’t like it you don’t have to stay! No one is forcing you to do that sport, you are always free to say I don’t like this and quit. Nothing is wrong with quitting if it doesn’t make you happy to be there, happiness is always the main priority.

These were some simple tips and tricks I have complied to help out the future class of freshman before going into high school. The main tip I have is to have fun! Not everything is as serious as it seems, everyone is learning and everyone will make mistakes. You got this 🙂