Surviving the First Day of High School

Next week thousands of 13-, 14- and 15-year olds will embark upon the first year of a four year educational journey.

For the next 10 months, you will commiserate over a status that no one, not even the pretty people or preordained cook kids, can escape: being a freshman. At the onset, there is fear. Will you get lost ? Will you find the cafeteria ? Earn decent grades ?

First Day Jitters: The first day of high school is the most dreaded, and quite possibly the most falsely built upon day of the year. The upperclassmen are busy with their friends and really will not send freshmen to the third floor non-existent pool.

Join Extracurricular Activities/Athletics: Your team/club can become your best friend from the first day of practice.

Lunch: Where do I sit ? Where do I go for lunch ? These are common questions that will run through your head. Have a plan. Whenever you get your schedule, connect with your friends and see which ones share your lunch period. (At Varela, the lunch period is during 3rd period or 4th period depending if it is an A or B day. There will be 2 lunch waves and they are organized around sections of the building. Chances are that if you are on the second floor, all your friends scheduled for a second floor class during that period will have lunch together.) Then arrange a place to meet, as to avoid the panicky "where are they" feeling. You have 40 minutes for lunch so do not panic if the lines are long the first few days. You might figure out it is easier to sit and chat with friends for the first 10 minutes and then get in line. You will develop a routine that works for you.

Organize yourself: Some people are naturally more organized than others. Learn how to organize your time. Identify the tasks or habits that take time away from your studies and develop a schedule.

I hope this advice will ease your nerves about the first days of high school. Most of your learning experiences will come from trial and error, but keep your grades up, find an extracurricular activity, set aside time for friends and enjoy the best days of your life.

For more tips, visit: http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-Your-Freshman-Year-in-High-School