Since I’m going into my last year in High School I have found out some things that I wish I knew a little earlier Here are a few tips for upcoming underclassmen:

• All four years of high school are really important so don’t slack off because you think your freshman and sophomore years don’t matter.
• If you are able to, take honors or AP courses – they really help your GPA if you do well and colleges like seeing those courses. Don’t take on more than you can handle – take courses you can still earn good grades in.
• Hang out with people who are trying to advance in life not people who are regressing or doing nothing at all.
• Don’t be afraid to ask if you need help with one of your classes. The National Honor Society has tutoring after school for FREE.
• Join as many clubs as you can without spreading yourself too thin.
• Try to stay on the majority of your teachers’ good sides you never know when you will need their help.
• It’s never really too early to look into SAT prep and ACT prep – you can do this online for free: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice
• SLEEP! Studying is important, but so is sleep, so don’t stay up all night studying for a test because lack of sleep doesn’t help anyone.
• Be yourself, don’t try to conform to something that doesn’t fit you because it’s considered the “norm.” Stay true to who you are.
• Community service hours are really important. Even though you only need 24 get as many as you can because they can lead to some scholarship opportunities.
• Get to know your counselor. They are responsible for a lot of students, so don’t always expect them to come to you. Instead, reach out to them sometimes.
• Don’t neglect your school work for your social life – if you can, try to balance both.
• Don’t stress yourself out too much about college and grades – try your best and the rest will work itself out.
• Try to be in a group chat with your classmates – it’s super helpful. Just be mindful of plagiarism.
• It’s only four years. Try to have fun!