It is no secret that most incoming freshmen view high school as a warzone – no place for the weak. As you become more experienced, however, it becomes more apparent that to survive – and maybe even enjoy yourself – you do not have to be strong. You just need to be smart – street smart. A variety of sophomores and upperclassmen shared advice they would give to freshmen who are wondering how to start off on the right foot.  Here is what they said:

Making Friends, Upperclassmen, and Confidence

• “Make friends with other people from other schools because they can be really nice and it’s fun making new friends.” (Bisini Panicker, sophomore)
• “You have a lot more time in this school, so be friendly to people – even if you don’t want to [be]. High school is no place to make enemies.” (Allison Shaker, sophomore)
• “Don’t post pictures of yourself in compromising situations on Facebook or other social media.” (Casey Bremer, sophomore)
• “Do not be scared. Things that you see and hear about on television [are] all myths.” (Danielle Brown, senior)
• “Be confident, try hard in all your classes, and make good first impressions.” (Camille Ramasastry, sophomore)
• “Get to know a lot of people and [do not] limit how many acquaintances or friends you have.” (Dana Thomas, sophomore)

Lunch and Extracurricular Activities

• “Don’t be nervous about where you’re sitting [for lunch], because it’s early on in the year and it’s the same for everyone.” (Julian Kanagy, junior)
• “Join track and pole vault. It’s legit.” (Steven Chun, sophomore)
• “Join a club or a sport because you’ll have something to do.”(Vishnu Pillai, sophomore)
• “Always put yourself out there and try new things, because you will never know how much you like something if you haven’t tried it.”(Divya Surabhi, sophomore)

Walking the Halls

• “If you see a penny flying at your head, duck.” (Mason Spillers,sophomore)
• “Don’t be one of those people who walk really fast in the hallways and cut people off.” (Armond Sharfaei, junior)

Relationships with Teachers and School Work

• “Have good relationships with your teachers because you can get a recommendation letter from them later.” (Nolan Farster, junior)
• “Work hard to get good grades, but also save time for new friends. (Payton McLaughlin, sophomore)
• “Stay organized and on top of things so you don’t fall behind.” (Carolina Paniagua, sophomore)
• “Make a lot of friends in all your classes so they will share in your struggles.” (Imad Khoker, sophomore)
• “Don’t stress out at first because it’s a lot easier than it seems.” (Will McGhee, senior)
• “Get things done ahead of time.” (Molly Kress, sophomore)