Freshman year can be the most stressful and confusing part of high school. Whether you’re figuring out what you want to do the rest of high school, or finding a place to fit in, seniors can help freshmen figure it out because they’ve been through it and know how to help. Advice given during freshman year can make high school easier.

The Charioteer staff decided that this year to ask graduating seniors “What advice would you give to your younger, freshman self?”

Receiving a variety of answers, there were some common themes that unfolded.
1. Get involved as much as possible. This might be clubs, athletics, group lunch tables, volunteering, or even joining student sections as sporting events. Getting involved can help students find a place to fit in, find new friends, and try new experiences. Erin Quinn suggested, “Join a sport, get involved, I know it sounds typical, but it’s true. Get involved in your school, it helps with scholarships later on as well.”

2. Don’t get behind in class. It might seem like it’s no big deal to miss an assignment or two, not read the book for the night, or just talk to your friends in class, but eventually, it catches up with you. Stay focused and get the work done. You might actually like what you learn.

3. Reach out to your teachers. They are there to help. And it’s likely they actually want to help you. That’s why they are there.

4. Don’t get caught up in the drama of it all. Erin Quinn agreed, “Do not worry about what other think of you.” Be yourself, and at sometime time during it all, you might even find out who you want to be. In high school, so many students are worried about what others think of them; however, it’s likely that people really don’t put that much energy into judging others. They are more worried about being judged. What’s the lesson? People typically are not judging you as much as you think they are.

5. Don’t be afraid to take chances. Joanna Engel said, “Some advice I would give to my freshman self is to branch out and try new things/ activities that could have gotten me more involved not only in school, but also with people and my social life.” Some seniors suggest that it’s worth considering that to really succeed in life, you likely have to fail a couple of times.

6. Don’t stress the small things. Whether it is drama or just high school in general, stressing can make everything harder. Chase Wienk said, “Something I would tell my freshman self would be: stop stressing about everything; high school is a weird place. Flow like water.”

High school life can be challenging. But with some sound advice from the Class of 2022, maybe we all can live it a bit easier.