I came into high school unprepared and afraid. Becoming a freshman and being in a new environment can be a scary thing. Time will fly by before you know it, and you’ll be a senior applying for college. As Angie Steadman from Diary of a Wimpy Kid once said, “one day middle school will end and become high school and after that it just becomes life. All those things you think are important now won’t be anymore.”
Four years of high school flies by fast and we learn things as seniors that we didn’t know about when we were freshman. We were just kids as 9th graders, we were immature and only cared about how we looked to others. By senior year, you’re becoming an adult, studying hard, and stressing about life after graduation.
I interviewed Angel Perales (12) and asked him “what do you wish you knew as a freshman that you now know as a senior” and he said, “Now that I’m a senior, I wish I had tried more because freshman year I didn’t put in effort and that really affected my other years. I didn’t keep my confidence.”
I was the same way in 9th grade, I didn’t try very hard on my grades and didn’t think about my future and how it would affect me. Most of my classes, I just talked to my friends and I didn’t pay attention. I now realize that my grades and learning is important because I want to get into a good college and have a good job.
My whole life I’ve always been a very social person, but when I got to Pitman, I had no friends. I always struggled with making friends in high school and I felt like everyone already had their friend groups from middle school. It made me dread coming to school. Although, this year I’ve learned that it’s okay to be alone or to hang out by myself sometimes. I’m more focused on my work.
An important thing to remember is to work on growing yourself mentally. Be involved, try new things, prioritize your mental health, use social media less, and don’t be afraid of failure. Make sure you get enough sleep and not overbook yourself. However, I understand wanting to go straight home after school or to go out with your friends, but joining extracurriculars is really fun and can boost your mental health. It’s the perfect time to meet new people and make friends.
My freshman year I worked on making friends, I didn’t go to events, and I was very self conscious about everything I did. I always tried to fit in, but by the time I got to senior year, I stopped caring about how other people saw me. I learned to just let things happen because not everything will be perfect or go your way.