Fair warning, if you are going to be a freshman, that means you are you are going to have a lot of eyes on you your first couple weeks of high school here at HBHS. Freshman year can be a bit tricky because you’re entering the unknown. New building, new teachers, new coaches, new friends: a lot is changing.

You don’t have much of a choice but to jump in, head first. Yet there are small things that you can do that will help you enjoy your next four years.

Use your locker:

Jenna Swabowitcz ‘17 stated, “I can always tell who the freshman are by their backpack.” The most common mistake you can make as an underclassman is having an overflowing backpack that sticks out a mile long. This is most commonly known as “freshman backpack” and you definitely do not want to have one. Its pretty simple, you have a locker so use it. Yes, 5 minutes might seem like a short window to be bouncing in between floors but I can promise you will get in the swing of things within the first few weeks of school.

Hallway etiquette:

Another really quick way to be noticed as a freshman is to be walking on the wrong side of the hallway. This will drive your peers crazy, Kendall Pestana ‘16 said “It’s always the freshman who are on the wrong side of the hallway.” You won’t want to be that freshman, so to fit in with the flow of traffic make sure to hop in line on the right side of the highway.

Don’t Forget to study:

A common mistake that occurs with many freshman is thinking that your first year is going to be a breeze and that you won’t need to study. You will be very sorry if you truly believe that, so make sure to try and work hard all for all of your four years of high school. You don’t want your slacker grades from freshman year to haunt you as a senior while you’re stressing about what college will accept you or what job will employ you after looking at tarnished high school transcripts.

Ask for help:

Remember, high school is challenging. If you’re struggling in a class chances are there are five others lined up behind you. So don’t be afraid to ask for help! Madoc Lewis ‘19 said “I went to my teachers for help a few times and it helped me understand a bit better.”  At Hollis Brookline there are many different resources available, so use them and you won’t regret it.

Get involved:

Your high school experience will be a culmination of how involved you are. Whether it be  clubs, sports or theater, don’t be afraid to join anything that sparks your interest. This will not only benefit you later when applying for colleges but it will help you meet new friends, some upperclassmen and create some amazing memories that you will remember for years to come.

My advice to you:

As I’m sure you have heard at least once before “High School is going to fly by”. You sit and laugh with your friends because you’re thinking it’s four more years of school, that’s a long time. I sit here writing this to you as a senior finishing up my fourth year, so I can honestly say that I thought the exact same thing and I was severely wrong. You will spend every week just trying to make it through to the weekend. The truth is, as a senior looking back,those 720 days seemed like forever at the time, but it’s has passed by in a millisecond.

High School will teach you many great lessons besides how to succeed academically and in life outside of school. Chances are 50% of you will put off that chemistry project until the night before it’s due. You’ll probably stay up till 3 a.m. just to cram it in and finish it on time, this is where you will learn time management. Students feed off of their peers, we pick up each other emotions, habits and even words, so be cautious of who you chose to be your friends because it can make or break you, especially in high school. Friends will make you aware of who you are and who you want to be, so it might take a few try’s but you’ll find the right group eventually. Lastly, the hope is that you’ll learn not to be shy and to not be afraid to put yourself out there. It can be a difficult task for some but it will truly benefit you in the long run.

High school has been a great experience for me. However, I’ve seen and heard stories about how some did did not enjoy their high school experience. What was the cause? They weren’t involved in clubs or the community. So make sure to try new things and push yourself out of your comfort zone a bit. You might as well since everything else is new, right?