By Cesar Zafra
Although I’m now a senior, I still vividly remember my freshman year woes; those feelings of what am I supposed to do with my life now? And oh jeez, lunch time again, who do I sit with? I know, the transition from middle school to high school is rough, and it’s probably going feel like one of the roughest patches of your life. It’s okay. I can say for a fact that you’re going to make it, but here’s a few tips from my personal experience to better yours(hopefully):
Chapter 1: Pain Is Temporary, GPA Is Forever.
There is no truer statement; the physical pain of staying up late to study will never outweigh the agony of a low GPA. Treat your GPA as if it were your child; would you ever let your child’s health voluntarily worsen? Of course not (at least I hope you wouldn’t).
Freshman year is the easiest year to get straight A’s, do not let this opportunity pass. Study hard, motivate and push yourself because this year sets the tone for the rest of your high school career. In GPA, we trust.
Chapter 2: Clubs Are Silver Linings.
At MLEC, we have a little something called Club Rush— a week full of club advertisements where you get to sign up for whatever club interests you. I suggest to try something that’s out of your comfort zone, like the debate club or robotics.Colleges love to see extracurriculars on an application, but they also like consistency, so try to stay committed to whichever clubs you join throughout the years.
Chapter 3: You Are The Architect of Your Future.
It is so easy to compare yourself to the student sitting next to you. To demean yourself just because you didn’t get an A on that math test, like Ashley did. Dang it, Ashley. All that does, however, is distract you from what is truly important: your own future. There will always be people who are better than you, but the key is to drive yourself to do better than your own conditions and not those of someone else.
Chapter 4: Like Adele, All You Have to Do Is Say “Hello”
Let’s be honest, no one is actually going to walk up to a random person and start a conversation, that’s for tv shows. But, if you don’t want to be cold, then you have to be the one to start a spark . Try to be friendly with the people sitting around you in your classes; they’re probably just as vulnerable as you.
Clubs are the perfect resources for you to talk to new people. Study groups can lead to friendships. And you’ll be surprised at how many nice people you can meet at after-school activities.
Chapter 5: Breathe While You Can.
Remember to take time out of every week for yourself. After all, this is the only year where you truly have the opportunity to do so. Surviving a week of high school is award-worthy; feel free to treat yourself! Slowly but surely, you’ll begin to realize that school was never serious until this point in time. From here on out, homework takes longer to finish than a measly hour and studying is no longer a mythical word.
Always take into consideration that college is the daunting monster at the end of the tunnel, and the only direction that you’re moving towards is forward, straight towards the exit and the beast.
Chapter 6: Conclusion.
Your next destination is dependent on your actions now. Be bold, be magnificent, and be brave. I, along with every other Jaguar at MLEC, am wishing you the best of luck in your endeavors.
“Carpe Diem, Seize The Day.”
