Freshman year may come off as scary because the transition from middle school to high school may seem a lot bigger than it really is.

In order to survive freshman year, it is important to break it down into smaller pieces.

Most importantly, stick with friends who you are comfortable with, such as friends you went to middle school with. If you are transferring or going to a different school than your friends, don’t go into a new environment acting like somebody you’re not.

Once you’ve established your friend group, be yourself and don’t act like anybody you’re not. Going into a new environment may seem scary and nerve wracking, which can bring on peer pressure because as a new student, you want to make friends. Being “fresh meat” in high school makes individuals a new target for the upperclassmen to pull you into their clique, and that can bring on peer pressure.

When friends with upperclassmen, such as sophomores, juniors and seniors, other students tend to become your friend so they can be associated with those upperclassmen as well.

“My brother was a senior when I was in the 9^th grade, so that kind of helped me get through my freshmen year…plus I had a lot of classes with my friends from middle school,” said Diamond Jones, sophomore.

Knowing a lot of upperclassmen always make your first year of high school easier, but you also have to treat people the way you would like to be treated. Treat people the way you want to be treated. When you’re nice to people, people tend to be nice back.

“Just be yourself and don’t try so hard to fit in, choose your friends wisely and keep focusing on your schoolwork,” said Jones.

Staying alone brings less drama and attention towards you. “Another way to get past your freshman year is by staying alone,” said Aaron Taylor, junior.

Freshman year is the most important year of the high school experience. Freshman year determines if students graduate or drop out. Many students think of the first year of high school as party time and don’t complete schoolwork or homework. Once those credits are lost, it’s very hard to play catch up. Summer school would be a way to receive those lost credits, but if more than two credits are lost, a student will only get to make up two credits. When a student is missing three or four credits, anything beyond two credits would be lost.

Making it through freshman year obviously takes a lot of effort from the individual student to stay on the path to success, both academically and socially.

Survival Tips

1. Stay to yourself
2. Stick with people you know, but make a few new friends
3. Keep focus on your homework and classwork
4. Know some upperclassmen
5. Don’t try to be somebody you’re not
6. Stay drama free
7. Be respectful to your teachers and peers
8. Treat people the way you want to be treated
9. Don’t get yourself in a situation you can’t get out of
10. HAVE FUN!!! J