The Ultimate High School Tips Thread

  1. Failing (or what you perceive as failing) one test or paper won't really matter in the grand scheme of things, trust me.Don't fret too much about it and use it to motivate you for the next one. Just don't make a habit of it.
  1. Be nice to your teachers. Not in a superficial way - just try to establish positive relationships with them. Say hi, smile, etc.
  1. If youre a freshman girl, and a senior guy calls you in the middle of the night, he truly just wants to **hang out**
  1. When things get tough (emotionally & academically) during high school, be like a goose and confide in trusted friends, relatives and family members.

You see, when geese fly in that ā€œVā€ formation up in the sky, each of the bird creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By doing so, the whole flock is able to add at least 71% greater flying range that if a single bird were to do it on his/her own.

If you have the sense of a goose, you will be with people who share a common direction and sense of community during difficult times, so that you can get to places much quicker and easily, since you would be traveling on the thrust of one another. :wink:

  1. Don't let friends and social life occupy a lot of your thoughts or time and create drama. It's not worth it to get wrapped up in people who start "he-said-she-said" and "Don't talk to me, I'm not your friend anymore."
  2. Don't be afraid to go to your guidance counsellor if you're feeling overwhelmed, confused, or concerned about anything. Sometimes they can be lifesavers, and they're there to help you!
  3. Do all of the homework you can do, but don't be afraid to skip a small assignment or two if you're feeling really overwhelmed or have more pressing assignments due soon. If you're carrying a 96 in Spanish, don't feel like one missed homework assignment is going to kill you. This doesn't mean don't do any homework, though, it's an important part of your grade.
  4. Grades aren't the extent of your value. Sometimes school and other outside input can make students feel like their grades are the only things that matter. If you're struggling with a class, don't feel like you're stupid. If you can't handle an honors level class, don't be afraid to drop down to a college-prep or basic level class. That doesn't mean don't try, though.
  1. Get off your phone in class and pay attention. It might seem stupid now, but it'll help you pass the test and keep your GPA from going down the drain.
  2. That being said, **you are not your GPA. Or your test scores, for that matter.** You are so, so much more than that. There are 4.0/2400s that get rejected from Princeton, and 3.7/2100s that get in. You don't have to be perfect, you have to be interesting.
  1. If you decide to use anything, know where your stuff comes from. Weed/ecstasy is often laced.
  2. Don't skip class/school.
  3. Having sex isn't a bad/shameful thing
  4. Seniors who date freshmen are sketchy. Stay far away.
  5. Study for the SAT/ACT during the summer. You won't have time during the school year.
  1. A rigorous schedule is not a schedule where you stretch yourself thin. You don't need 6 AP classes each year. What you need is to show passion in the classes you take; choose your classes wisely. Don't self-study an AP just to have the AP on your record. (Unless you wanna get something like National AP Scholar and you are one AP away.) AP classes ARE NOT everything.

Start college visits and standardized tests early on.

  1. Have confidence in yourself on tests. If you read the question and don't know, don't just put a random answer. Analyze each choice, and at least eliminate the bad choices before you guess.
  1. Don't get caught up in high school relationships. Your high school boyfriend/girlfriend is usually not the love of your life. Don't throw away your life or sacrifice all your time thinking you need to make your relationship the center of your world.
  2. Whenever you are about to make a decision, flash forward to college time/senior year and think about all you will miss out on if you don't focus on what is truly important in the long run: what you made out of your life, not who you made out with.
  1. Be single. It gives you more time for activities! (And I don't necessarily mean extracurriculars)
  2. Don't stay attached to only one group of people. If they go crazy, then you'll have friends to fall back on.
  3. It's always possible that someone could see you as "Regina George" even if you swear you treat them and others with nothing but respect. It's high school, people have emotions and get jealous, still be kind.
  4. Join a club if you are one of those kids who took Pre-Calc freshman year so that you can be around more students your age. I always felt sectioned off in that most of the people I knew in my classes were older than me and I barely got to converse with my peers. Extracurriculars help with this.