Senior Guide

By Rachel McMillen, Sports editor

Hands down, high school can be an extremely scary place. There are new people, new places, and especially, new experiences.

These can quickly become overwhelming for anyone unaccustomed to high school life.

However, do rest assured, as things quickly become easier.

Here are some tips from an old geezer readying to graduate and wanting, oh so graciously, to make life easier for all the new delicious fresh meat out there. 

First, we all love our friends. That\’s a known fact no matter your age or grade..

However, don\’t be afraid to go without them.

Do not be one of those kids who wait in the enormous line after school to complain to their guidance counselor with amazingly bizarre excuses just to try to change their class schedule so you can sit next to your buddy in English.

It\’s just ridiculous.

Having a class without your friends forces you (no kidding) to make new friends and to experience things on your own. And believe it or not, you may even find you have more fun when you get to do things by yourself for once.

But even if you don\’t, there will always be lunch, passing periods, and after school to hook up with your BFFLs.

And wait—another thing.

Although hearing the latest gossip may seem super important, class is for learning. Appease your teachers, and your parental units, by paying attention.

Yes, crazy things like that do come with the high school experience.

Next, sleep is your best friend. Seriously.

Young students often make the mistake of thinking that since they\’re in high school, they should act older. Older, I tell you, is not staying up until the wee hours of the morning. Doing this will not make you cool.

It will only give you a disheveled, groggy appearance and cause you to fall asleep during class. This will heavily affect your performance, annoy your teachers, and maybe—just maybe—put a large, red imprint on your face from leaning on your fist too long.

Even if you have an enormous exam the next morning, studying will only do you good if you\’re awake enough to remember what you studied. It is recommended for teenagers to get at least nine hours of sleep a night.

But as we all know, teenagers just don\’t take recommendations, and nine hour sleeping time is not a realistic goal for most.

Therefore, my experience shows that seven hours will keep you alert and awake; five or six will keep you awake, but not alert; and four or less will permanently affix your head to your desk in an incoherent sleeping position the entire day. 

If you manage your time wisely however, it is actually possible for you to obtain those seven hours of sleep.

But watch out. Procrastination is the number one temptation.

No matter what, there always seems to be something more fun and entertaining to do than studying. Giving in to this procrastination may give you a moment of amusement, but in the long run, it can also give you low test scores, a groggy appearance, and a whole lot of frustration. Yep. Nasty, nasty side affects.

One of the hardest lessons to learn in high school is that homework doesn\’t disappear. If you take care of it first and get it out of the way, however, your experiences afterward will be more enjoyable.

If you don\’t take care of it, you will have that impending weight looming over you the entire day.

And you don\’t want the weight to come crashing down. It is definitely not a merry experience. 

Finally, high school is meant to be Fun. Remember that. The word “Fun” even comes with a capital “F.”

Don\’t let the little things and drama bring you down. Focus on school, but make sure you have time for your friends.

Go to the dances, join a couple of clubs, try out for a sports team, talk to that cute guy or girl you see at lunch. High school is an once-in-a-lifetime experience, and there aren\’t any do-overs.

Don\’t let stress take over your life. Take a deep breath and start making some good memories.

You won\’t regret it.