High School can be very stressful freshman year. There are many things that are new and confusing. Being the smallest fish in the huge pond of highschool can leave you feeling helpless. Being seniors we have experienced a lot and have learned many lessons throughout highschool. Speaking from experience we wish we had a guide on what to expect and how to make it through. There is no better thing than making the most out of Highschool, and freshman year is the perfect place to start. In our research about what others had to say to freshman, the main point that kept coming up was how “the one piece of advice for new freshmen in high school would be to remember that everything counts. From your first day of high school, to the last day of your senior year, students are under continuous testing and not just academically.”

There is no better way to gain knowledge than hearing from your peers, we got the opportunity to interview a fellow senior on her takeaways of her high school experience. When asked about how freshmen should prepare for the workload of high school, Mackenzie tells us how important it is to “stay ahead of work.” Mackenzie explains that falling behind makes it much harder to keep up and stay on track. Mackenzie stresses to us that staying on top of your work is important, but getting involved is also a big piece. Her advice to freshmen is to “Join clubs and intramural sports, play high school sports because they’re so much fun.”

Going into highschool with your set group of friends may make the transition easy, but it usually changes as you do. Mackenzie tells us that since freshman year she has changed “a lot” and that “Your friend group might change in highschool, but it doesn’t matter.” She expresses that a change in a friend group is normal and you will find your people during your four years here. You may even become friends with people older than you, which seems scary but in all reality they are people too. What Mackenzie wants to tell freshmen about upperclassmen is that “they are not scary, they are nicer than you think.” Then she follows it up with, “But don’t talk to them during spirit week.”

Many seniors have regrets once their high school years are coming to an end, a majority wishes they could go back and change some things. When asked what she regrets most and what she would do differently if you were a freshman again, Mackenzie shares that she would “actually try.” Mackenzie stresses to freshmen that, “Freshman year actually matters more than you think.” 

In conclusion, the most important advice from seniors to freshmen is; get involved, understand procrastination, get out of your comfort zone, make connections, live in the moment, don’t slack freshmen year because your gpa will suffer, experience a bit of everything, don’t compare yourself to others, don’t be afraid to ask questions and have fun!