Upperclassmen Give Freshmen Advice

   Every student is navigating a life-changing transition this year. Some are turning a new page, others are starting a new chapter, but the freshmen are opening a whole new volume. It can feel overwhelming to face so many blank pages, and starting high school is often nerve-racking. Fortunately, the 2026-2027 freshmen do not have to write this story alone. Countless students have walked this path before them, and are willing to give their advice.

  To give the freshmen an upper hand here are some things that the upperclassmen think it would be easier if the freshmen understood. Lindsey Gowin points out “Make sure to walk on the right side of the hallways, do not stop in the middle of the hallways, and NO PDA in the hallways.” This will help the traffic flow in the school and ensure that everyone gets to where they need to go on time. You will have plenty more opportunities to talk to your friends. Kaelianna Stafford states that “I need the freshman to understand that no one cares about your middle school fame. Being the coolest kid in the 8th grade is like being the tallest toddler. It means absolutely nothing now.” Kaelianna Stafford reminds the freshmen that they are in a new environment and so now it is time to make a new name for themselves. She believes that high school is the beginning and that they still have many years to grow rather than peaking in middle school. 

  Beyond the student handbook there are more rules that are known but unspoken.  Ellie Misenheimer states that “Freshmen stay towards the top of the student section.” This helps make sure that the best seats are reserved for the seniors for their final year to ensure they have the best experience possible. Everyone does their time; it is a rite of passage every student will eventually get to experience. Kaelianna Stafford warns, “The biggest unspoken rule is whenever the cafeteria announces extra food DO NOT run to the lunch line. Please walk and running makes you look desperate.”

  While your middle school teachers try to prepare you for high school they sometimes get a few things wrong as do the TV shows. Godwin and Misenheimer believe one of the biggest myths is that there are “big bad high-school bullies.”. They agree  there is simply no such thing and that there are no people getting swirlies in the bathroom and nobody says “give me your lunch money.”.

 Misenheimer, Stafford, and Godwin all agree that the biggest mistake to make as freshmen is to not get involved. They believe that when you get involved in sports and clubs that you will find people that have  the same interest as you. It is a great way to make friends and “it makes high school more bearable”, Stafford states. It makes high school fly by when one is having fun and making memories with those whom they love.

 Stafford, Godwin, and Misenheimer warn you to not fall into the trap of pushing off your grades and GPA. They warn against having the “I have three more years to get my GPA back up,” mindset. That the classes will get more challenging as one progresses throughout their high school career. This makes it harder for one to get their GPA back up. They also encourage students to challenge themselves because it helps you grow and also colleges will look at that. 

  Some of the last pieces of advice that the upperclassmen want to leave students with is that this is your freshmen year so have fun with it. Do not get caught up in all of the drama, it is not worth it. It will ruin a student’s high school experience. These are going to be the best years of one’s life. Make sure to make it worth remembering. The true goal is when one looks back on these years is that they will look back on them with pride, not regret. That they can leave knowing that they became who they were made to become, that they tried their hardest in everything they did whether it was big or small, but most importantly that they are proud of the story they wrote.