Tips for high school?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Hello! ^^</p>

<p>I'm a soon-to-be freshman/9th grader and I'm a newbie on CollegeConfidential...please help meeeee. </p>

<p>I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on high school (I'm silently freaking out about the next four years -_-).</p>

<p>Sooo.....I am the oldest child in my family, and my mother and father immigrated from South Korea so they don't know much about high school in America. </p>

<p>I've already decided on the colleges I would like to apply to in senior year (Harvard, Yale, Emory, UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Columbia, plus state schools and others) and I've researched their admissions processes, majors, and stats. I want to try my hardest in high school to be accepted into one of these schools (particularly Ivy League schools, even though they are reach TT). </p>

<p>Please give me some tips on high school that would help me succeed and be a successful student ^^</p>

<p>Below are the clubs I am planning to join in high school, extra curriculars, and classes I plan to take.</p>

<p>(Main) Clubs: NHS (National Honor Society), Key Club, Academic Team (Quiz Bowl), NAHS (National Art Honor Society), and BETA. (These are the main clubs I plan to join in high school and the clubs I'll list on my college app)
Some other clubs (Art Club, Korean Club, etc.), I plan to just take just for fun. ^^</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: Tennis, compete in art/writing competitions, academic tutoring, piano tutor, youth group, competitive piano, Korean school, etc. </p>

<p>Volunteer: community service, Key Club, academic tutoring, piano tutor, help homeless, internship (11th grade), etc.</p>

<p>(<em>I put tutoring under both volunteer and extracurriculars because i wasn't sure where to list it</em>)</p>

<p>Academic Classes:
FRESHMAN YEAR- AP Human, Pre Ap Genre Study (Honors Language Arts), Pre Ap Bio, Algebra 1 OR Accelerated Algebra 1</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE YEAR- AP World History/European History, Pre Ap World Literature, Pre Ap Chem, Geometry/Accelerated Geometry </p>

<p>JUNIOR YEAR- AP U.S History, AP Language & Composition, Accelerated Pre Calc/Algebra II, AP Physics B</p>

<p>SENIOR YEAR- AP Government OR AP Macroeconomics, AP Literature & Composition, AP Calc AB/BC OR AP Statistics, AP Chemistry</p>

<p>My school does not offer IB classes...will that give me a disadvantage? Also, I have a rather large interest in the Fine Arts and writing, which is why most of my EC's revolve around art/music. Do I need to 'diversify' my EC's a little? I have tennis as a sport...but...idk...TT. I plan to intern but idk if that will help....</p>

<p>I am aiming to be a Gates Millenium Scholar and I would like to have a scholarship to Harvard University. Plus, I would like to be in the top 15% of my graduating class.</p>

<p>I live in north Atlanta and am Korean American (born in Los Angeles but parents are from Seoul). I am the oldest and (I'm pretty sure) I am first generation college student, and my family is middle class.</p>

<p>I'm very sorry this thread is super duper long (-_-"), and I know it may be too early to ask about college and whatever because I'm just now entering high school...but I really want to succeed in high school and go to an Ivy school. </p>

<p>Please give me some tips on high school :)</p>

<p>Thank you ! ^_^</p>

2

<p>My best high school advice post is in [url=<a href=“http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/1661936-if-you-could-redo-anything-in-your-high-school-career-what-would-it-be.html]this[/url”>If you could redo anything in your high school career, what would it be? - High School Life - College Confidential Forums]this[/url</a>] thread.

So you have at least one affordable safety school? You should talk to your parents about how you’re going to pay for college, and run net price calculators on college websites.

No. Take the most challenging courses available and get mostly As in them.

You don’t need to do any specific ECs (like a sport, musical instrument, etc.). You just need to show focus, dedication, accomplishment, and ideally leadership in whatever you do.

Just so you know, college applications aren’t actually going to ask, “Are you a first-generation college student?” They’ll just ask about your parents’ education levels and draw their own conclusions.

The Ivy League is an athletic conference, not a synonym for all prestigious colleges. </p>

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<p>I will try my best to show leadership and dedication, try my hardest to get all a’s, and yeah, i have a safety school i’m also going to apply to.
Thank you so much for the advice ^^</p>

4

<p>How to succeed? Work hard, but have fun. You don’t have to overwork and overextend yourself (and please don’t) to do well. </p>

5

<p>Thank you ^^
i will balance out my schedule the best i can </p>

6

<p>First, I want to say that I don’t think you should live your high school life in order to get into college; if things don’t pan out, it’ll be as if you wasted four years doing things you didn’t truly enjoy. I like that you know what you want, but keep in mind that you change a lot during HS, and so will your choices. Join clubs and organizations that you actually like, not just for your app. Though you definitely should think about leadership positions and work/internships ahead of time so you can do them before it’s too late. About your arts-focused ECs, some colleges like to see “lopsided” students, so that won’t hurt you. </p>

<p>I think the advice to follow that will most ‘help’ you get things to put on your app (though I don’t recommend doing activities just for this purpose) is basically GET INVOLVED. I didn’t exactly do this until later in HS and i regretted it, but I know that the activities I do have for my apps this fall are ones that I truly care about and could defend if asked why I joined them. </p>

<p>General high school tips: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>DON’T PROCRASTINATE. Okay, no one follows this, but keep procrastination to a minimum. I don’t know what your MS or HS are like, but you will have to be a lot more self-directed about your assignments in HS. If possible, find times during the school day that you can do homework (my HS requires a study hall built into everyone’s schedule) so that you have less to do at home, where you are more likely to get distracted. </p></li>
<li><p>Get enough sleep. I can’t stress this enough. Especially if your high school starts early (mine starts before 8). You simply won’t be focused enough in your classes. You might even fall asleep, which is embarrassing. Whatever your sleeping habits are, NEVER pull an all-nighter. It’s just not worth it. You’ll be falling asleep in school, and your brain will slow significantly in the late hours of the night. </p></li>
<li><p>Eat breakfast. Helps you stay alert.</p></li>
<li><p>If you’re struggling in a class, get help before it’s too late. Most of my teachers have explicitly stated that they are available during free periods and after school to give extra help to those who ask for it. It could mean all the difference. If you don’t want to ask a teacher, then you could ask other students.</p></li>
<li><p>This might be an issue of different priorities, but for me, academics always come first. (It sounds like that might be the case for you too). I’m talking specifically about social things. Friendships, relationships, it’s not worth letting your grades slip for interactions that mostly stop after y’all get to college. If someone is getting in the way of you getting the grades you want, distance yourself from them, because you won’t be happy if you end up with a C on your transcript. </p></li>
<li><p>Don’t skip class. I don’t understand why people cut their academic classes (I myself stick to occasionally cutting gym or study hall :3). </p></li>
<li><p>Live for the moment. This sounds so cliche, but HS is so much better than MS because you have more freedom. Don’t waste away studying hours and hours for SATs; just do the amount that is required (who knows how much that is…but I know how much is too much). While you should prioritize grades, remember to step back once in a while and admire where you are. Have fun in your clubs. If you feel like you’re in one and you don’t belong, then walk away. You’re free to do that in HS; just find something else that you like. Or start a new club, like so many CCers seem to do. Just have fun. Don’t live for the purpose of getting into college because the journey matters so much more than the destination. </p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Thank you so much for the info ^-^
the clubs and ec’s i want to join/do are clubs that i have interests in and i think i will enjoy ^^
overworking…TT
ill try my best to manage my time wisely and have fun while doing work ^^
i’ll be sure to NOT procrastinate, eat well, sleep well, etc…health is very important ^^
Academics come first for me and a lot of my friends as well, so i don’t think we’d pay attention too much to social life ^^
Thanks for the advice :)</p>

8

<p>Don’t be upset if your “plan” gets derailed. I planned to take four years of French. My French teacher retired after 9th grade and my school never hired a new one. I planned on taking Honors Bio. Well, it didn’t work with my schedule. I planned to join clubs that just fell apart because of bad organization or membership. I planned to join certain sports until I realized that I couldn’t stand some of the people on the team lol. Not to be discouraging at all, having a plan is great and having a goal (a top college) will help keep you on track. Just realize that everything doesn’t always work out the way YOU plan it. </p>

<p>And definitely don’t forget to enjoy some of your time in high school. All work and no play makes both a dull college applicant and an unhappy person.</p>

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<p>I’d post something deep and meaningful, but instead, I’ll say this. @halcyonheather‌ answered your immediate questions. The next thing to do would be to investigate the lesser known stuff on the other CC subforums. The Parent’s forum is also a great place to talk about things for high school; the venerable folk of CC are based there</p>

10

<p>mhm Yea, it will be fun!</p>

11

<p>Take a look at this thread started earlier today: <a href=“What's high school like? - #9 by shawnspencer - High School Life - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/17444376&lt;/a&gt; It mentions some things outside pure academics and some good advice on starting high school. Good luck!</p>

12

<p>@z0e101‌
Thank you for the advice ^ ^</p>

13

<p>@Apollo
Alright ^^
Thank you!</p>

14

<p>@shawnspencer‌
Thank you for the link ^^</p>

15

<p>@Admittedly‌
Thank you so much for the link and advice ^^
I often visit my top college choice once a year with my family (during vacation) and tour the campus, and I will make sure to find out about college fairs in my area :slight_smile:
Once again, thank you!</p>

16

<p>Okay, I had just finished my freshman year and I’'m going to pass on what I’ve learned.</p>

<p>First off, treat every small quiz and test like it’s a big deal. At the end of the year, that on failing grade WILL drag down your overall grade!</p>

<p>Start early. Last summer, I had looked up the curriculum and had prepared for the courses over the summer. I’m doing that for sophomore year as well! It makes the classes so much easier!</p>

<p>Keep a planner or a calender. My school gives us these planners and they help so much! Write down all of your homework assignments and tests and check it everyday.</p>

<p>Revise all of the material from every single class when you get home from school. Just 20 minutes per class is good. </p>

<p>If you’re having trouble in a particular class, get a tutor! I don’t really know about your school, but in mine, the seniors and juniors tutor the freshmen kids during their free period or after school. </p>

<p>Also, if you’re having trouble, get extra practice material from the teachers after class. Not only will it help you learn, your teachers will also see that you are very motivated!</p>

<p>Don’t be that quiet student that sits in the back and hardly raises their hand, your participation grade will go down. Trust me on this one, I had been that kid for my first term and ended up with a 97% in that class, solely because of my participation grade :(</p>

<p>Keep an organized work space at home. Usually a desk with some school supplies such as highlighters and textbooks are good. </p>

<p>Don’t get involved with the really sketchy people in your school. They mean nothing but trouble :(</p>

<p>Also, I’m from NY so we have these final exams called Regents. Throughout the year, I used books from the “Barron’s” company, which had helped so much!!!</p>

<p>Anyways, I hoped some of these helped :slight_smile: If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM! </p>

<p>Good luck on your freshman year!!</p>

17

<p>Slow down brah.</p>

<p>TBB’s official high school tips:</p>

<p>•Find a group of friends the first week of school
•Don’t waste time with anything you aren’t enjoying
•Prioritize your appearance: you don’t have to naturally look good, but wear clothes that you’re comfortable in, get a nice haircut, brush your teeth, smell good, go to the gym…it goes a long way.
•Prioritize schoolwork but don’t overdo it. An 89.5% is still an A.
•Don’t make too many commitments. Free time is valuable.
•Play a sport, start early and go out for a freshman team; the coaches don’t expect you to be good.
•Have a sense of humor and don’t be that grouchy guy nobody likes. If you can make people laugh, people will like you.
•The hottest girls can be the loneliest. Don’t be afraid to talk to them. </p>

<p>All I can think of atm.</p>

18

<p>Hello, veritas0810! I am also an incoming Freshman in high school, and wish to attend the same colleges as you have listed above (particularly Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Northeastern, etc.). I am mainly Filipino, but also Caucasian, and as a fellow Asian I would just like to warn you beforehand that it will be significantly more difficult for us to gain entry into top schools, considering Asians are becoming increasingly perceived as “over-represented” at optimum colleges. </p>

<p>My Freshman schedule (as of so far):
Algebra II/Trigonometry (although I am currently attempting to accelerate to Analysis I), American Literature I, Biology, Freshman History, and the three electives required for my area of study (Pharmacology, Conducting Medical Research Papers, etc.). All the courses at my school are honors, btw. </p>

<p>From my observations, you essentially have a full-proof plan for high school! Message me and we will pave the way to the Ivies together! </p>

19

<p>Advice from a rising senior:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Get involved: participate in a variety of different extra curricular activities. Try out for at least one sport freshman year, and volunteer whenever you can. BUT…</p></li>
<li><p>Only join activities that you actually like; do not join anything because you feel pressured from other students, teachers, or your teachers; or because you think they would look good on college applications. Colleges are not looking for a laundry list of extra curriculars; they would like to see that you’re involved in activities, but also that there’s a direction in what you’re doing instead of piling random things on your list. Don’t participate in too many, though. Try and gain leadership positions, if possible. </p></li>
<li><p>This is probably going to fall on deaf ears, but do not procrastinate. You’ll be much better off spreading out an assignment out or studying over the course of a few days than to save it for the night before it’s due. I know this from first hand experience, so trust me on that one. If you have an agenda book, use it: it’s really helpful in keeping track of when things are due, and making work/study schedules. </p></li>
<li><p>Do not pull all nighters. You probably will have to stay up late to study for tests, or complete assignments, but don’t go all the way (or close to it) - you will feel awful the next day. Try and get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, and eat a good breakfast in the morning. As someone who routinely got less than 6 hours of sleep a night during sophomore and junior years, I can tell you from experience that you will feel lethargic during the school day, and will have trouble concentrating and staying awake. Also, don’t skip lunch like I did the majority of the time the last years: that only makes things worse. It’s not necessary to join a gym, but make sure you exercise daily and stay in shape. </p></li>
<li><p>Challenge yourself, but do not overload (this applies to ECs as well). Take as many rigorous classes as you think you can handle, but don’t overwhelm yourself. You should take classes that you genuinely enjoy, but try to avoid classes that are complete jokes. If you ever feel like you’re falling behind in class, stay after school and get extra help with a teacher, or ask your friends for help. If neither of those options work, then get a tutor. </p></li>
<li><p>Have fun and participate in as many school events as possible (i.e. homecoming, prom, sporting events, etc.). If this doesn’t appeal to you, then you can ignore this tip, but that was the case for me, and my biggest regret of the first three years of high school was not going to more school-related functions. Don’t make that same mistake if you want to enjoy all four years of high school. </p></li>
<li><p>Be yourself; do not feel like you have to radically change your personality in order to make friends, or to become popular. You will make friends no matter what, and it probably isn’t worth it to be popular anyway. As long as you’re maintaining straight A’s (or whatever grades you feel are acceptable), then feel free to hang out with your friends as much as possible (and generally have fun). Obviously you can’t have * too* much fun, because it will come at the cost of your academics. So in general, work hard, play hard (but not too hard). </p></li>
<li><p>Avoid drugs and alcohol. Nothing good can possibly come out of it for a high school student. It’s not the end of the world if you go to a party and take a few shots, or smoke some weed, but do not make it a regular habit, and do not let it interfere with your academics. If possible, avoid sketchy people who use drugs and alcohol, and don’t let them drag you down. </p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Lol just have a backup plan then a backup backup plan just in case it doesn’t go how you wanted. Also your career choice might change so keep that in mind. For example, I wanted to be a lawyer but I changed it to engineer because I like to program and it happens to really fun when you make a mistake. It took me about a whole year just to plan what to do on my 10th grade because it also has to be realistic. If you don’t plan realistic, your plan will fall apart. </p>

<p>Best way to plan it is to plan it step by step on how to get it. For example, I want to study abroad but my parents won’t help pay, okay, I’ll need a job to pay for it. My school also doesn’t teach the language I want to learn, okay, I’ll self study. I’ll be missing some classes though, okay, I’ll take summer school. </p>

<p>This works perfectly and is realistic enough to help me study abroad. I will also get something in return for study abroad such as making me stand out in college application. When you’re planning, do some research, if you can’t find the information you want, just keep looking and you’ll find it. It took me more then 3 months just to find information on high school study abroad. Then last but not least, make sure you can trust it. This world isn’t fair so don’t think everything will go how you want it to go.</p>

<p>The example is pretty much what happened to me during my freshman year. If you’re thinking about bullying, chances are, they’re more scare of you then they are to you. Mostly because you got the upper hand in getting them in trouble. If you want to do something, just don’t think to much about it and just do it. The more you think, the more you are not going to do it. That was my biggest mistake during freshman year.</p>