Dear Underclassmen and Incoming Freshman: Welcome to high school, I hope you enjoy it. If not, just remember it’s only four years. As I’m approaching graduation take my word when I say, the time flies. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that, I’d be richer than Mark Zuckerberg. (To our older readers, that’s the guy who invented Facebook) Anyways, over the years I have learned the do’s and don’ts of high school. Here are some of the things I wish someone had told me; my advice to whoever’s reading this is: take my advice.

My first tip is quite simple, get good grades! You’ve probably heard this a million times from your parents, but it does matter. There is nothing worse than having a lower GPA because you thought you were too cool for school at fourteen. As said by Pablo Hewitt, “If anyone tells you that freshman and sophomore year doesn’t matter, they’re lying and they hate you.” Although they may not hate you, they’re certainly steering you down the wrong path. With our new grade program, you (and your parents) can see exactly where you went wrong. It shows your transcript, and provides your annual GPA. Speaking from personal experience, seeing your ninth grade GPA can be a rude awakening. Senior Marisa Ianitto can also attest to this point, she says, “Don’t take classes as a joke because you will be very mad at yourself as a senior with that one C you got freshman year” However, to avoid misinterpretation, this does not mean freak out over every assignment! If you flunk a test there is always the next one, and extra help is readily available.

This leads to my next piece of advice, which is to keep everything in perspective. As said by senior Ellie Swenson, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, the one grade on a bio test or the weekend you weren’t invited to something isn’t the end of the world.” It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and think one bad day is the end of the world. If you find yourself in the midst of a freak out, try to remember it’s only high school. Chances are the cause of your stress will blow over in a week, so avoid premature greying don’t stress over little things.

My next tip is slightly unconventional and brief, however you will not hear the end of it from upperclassman if you don’t learn quickly. It’s as simple as this, in the hallways, you walk. (crazy, right?) If you use between bells as social hour, expect to get pushed. Senior Micha Hardie states, “The rules of the road apply in the hallways and if you walk in/out the wrong door of the stairs, I will wreck you.” Don’t worry too much about Micha’s end comment, since it’s her last year here she’s no longer a threat. Being both the shoved and shover, I can’t stress enough to follow the hallway traffic. Believe me, there is nothing more terrifying than being pushed aside by an angry teen twice your size.

My next and final piece of advice is to create the best memories, and take full advantage of the opportunities you are given. As tempting as it is to stay inside and binge watch your favorite TV show, I urge you to do the opposite. With a beach a mile away and reservations around every corner there is no such thing as “nothing to do”. The reality is, this is the last four years you’ll spend with the kids you’ve grown up with.