To: All the Freshmen out there

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Hi, this is my very first time posting a topic. I usually just replied to other posts or lurked around. I noticed that there isn't a huge high school freshmen presence on this site. Everyone is telling us to enjoy high school, and not to worry about colleges, yet. But, I personally like being saved stress, so why not have fun in high school, and be informed? I just thought it would be nice to get to know you all, because I'm also a freshmen. </p>

<p>I guess we could start by posting our schedules/ future schedules, other interests, how high school is treating us, and etc.</p>

<p>Ninth Grade:
Advanced Art I
Geometry Honors
Team Dance I
Integrated Physics & Chemistry Honors
English III Honors
Spanish II Honors
World Geography Honors</p>

<p>Tenth Grade:
Art II: Photography
Algebra II Honors
Dance III
Biology Honors
AP Rhetoric & Comp.
Spanish III Honors
World History Honors</p>

<p>Eleventh Grade:
Art IV: Photography Honors
Pre-Calculus Honors
Dance IV (the offering of this course is very unpredictable, because this year this course is only offered to the drill team's officers, if it is not offered then I will take a Theatre III or IV)
Physics Honors
AP Literature and Comp.
AP Spanish V (I am much better at reading and writing Spanish, than speaking it)
AP U.S. History</p>

<p>In my opinion, high school is much better than middle school, we have more freedom. But, it's because of this freedom, that most of the people at my high school are probably less motivated to do well. </p>

<p>My hs has a very big student pop., so everybody does not know everybody, which is a very good thing. I like my hs, but I became very bored with it in the second six weeks. Also, I go to a public school.</p>

2

<p>WOW. I'm a freshman too. It seems like your high school is so much cooler than ours with all those cool classes. (Public school for me too) Here's my schedule this year and next. </p>

<p>Freshman:
Honors English I
Honors World Cultures II
Gym
Honors French II
Honors Geometry
Band
Honors Biology </p>

<p>and for Sophmore year:
Honors English II
AP US History I
Gym
Honors French III
Honors Algebra II
Wind Ensemble (Hopefully. If I don't make it into that, then I'll be in Symphonic Band)
Honors Chemistry</p>

<p>My class size is about..... 420. As for the bored thing, I just did Marching Band for the first marking period. Then I joined some other clubs like Science League, which takes up some time. I really don't like my teachers this year and all thats getting me through the day is Band and talking to my friends after school.</p>

3

<p>Man, you guys need to just enjoy high school. Don't worry about college yet.</p>

<p>:D</p>

4

<p>WORD, Patrick.
Love freshman year like no other.</p>

5

<p>It may be trite advice, but those really are words of wisdom. I'm not saying completely disregard academics (my one regret was not trying very hard freshman year) but have fun. High school is crazy. Enjoy it and think about college in your junior year at earliest. Time flies and if all you do is worry then you'll wonder where it went.</p>

6

<p>Freshman Here!</p>

<p>Freshman Schedule:
Fine Arts/Computing
Religion
Spanish 3 Honors
English 1
Geometry Honors
Rhetoric (Speech and Debate)
General Science</p>

<p>Sophmore Schedule:
Religion/PE
Spanish Language AP
English 2 Honors
Algebra 2 Honors
World History AP
Biology</p>

<p>I go to a large Catholic High School, even though I'm not Catholic. Pretty Cool!</p>

7

<p>To young_one: It's very nice to meet you. How does it feel like to go to a Catholic school and not be Catholic? Also, what kind of debate do you prefer? I like ld debate more than cx debate.</p>

<p>To sunshine_breeze: I'm still bored, even though I'm on the school's dance team, an officer for a community service org., participate in the Black History Club, take 8 hr/week dance classes outside of school (it's going to increase next year when i quit the hs's dance team), and also coaches are trying to recruit me for my hs's track team (long distance runners are few and far between). I get what your saying about your teachers, hopefully next year you will like your teachers. The only thing getting me through my day is my friends, and remembering dances while teachers are giving us busy work to do. Also, what is it like to be in such a small class? It may not seem small to some people, but last time I heard, my class was over 1,000.</p>

<p>To Patrick: I am enjoying my freshmen year; I was nominated Homecoming Duchess; I go to the after parties after the b-ball games almost every week, and I have made many new friends. The reason why I'm worrying about college is because my dad has been urging me for years to think about colleges and he always hinted about financial costs, so I'm hoping to get some scholarships. Also, my parents were immigrants, and my dad got a scholarship to go to college in the U.S. back in the seventies, so has always been urging me to look at colleges as early as elementary. I just didn't start realizing that college was around the corner and that I needed money, until the end of eighth grade year.</p>

8

<p>The only real way you can increase your chances at money is by keeping your grades up, the main way is just to make sure your parents don't win the lottery. Most scholarships are decided on how much the parents make and hold. Colleges aren't really right around the corner. As I said, keep your grades up and don't slack off, but there is no reason to worry until the end of your Junior year at the earliest.</p>

<p>Good to see you don't need our advice on having fun! :cool:</p>

9

<p>I am a freshman too. Go us.</p>

<p>"I guess we could start by posting our schedules/ future schedules, other interests, how high school is treating us, and etc."</p>

<p>Which is what I'll do.</p>

<p>FRESHMAN YEAR:
AP World History
Honors Soph English
Honors Soph Trig
Chemistry
Orchestra
PE
Meaningless Electives</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE YEAR:
AP US History
AP English
Pre-Calc
AP Chem
AP Env. Sci.
Newspaper
Orchestra</p>

<p>JUNIOR YEAR:
AP Comp. Gov
AP English
AP Calc AB
AP Bio
AP Bio(2 periods long).
Newspaper
Orchestra.</p>

<p>SENIOR YEAR:
AP Calc BC
AP Physics
Newspaper
Orchestra
Graduation requirements and perhaps college courses?</p>

<p>Interests:
I love spending time with friends? I like tennis but I'm not great at it. I play the violin but I'm not great at that. I volunteer at the local hospital 4 hrs/a week because I like medical settings. I've been dreaming of being a doctor since I was 3 yrs old.</p>

<p>High School Is Treating Me:
Well. LOTS of free time and classes are way easier than middle school. I'm bored a lot which is why I even bother to be here. Except my friends just signed online so I'll be going now.</p>

<p>See ya guys.
:)</p>

10

<p>That is a lot of APs. My high school doesn't even allow kids to take any APs that early (although there are a few exceptions) other than Human Geo. If you feel you can take the beating, though, go for it. I have 5 this year and am glad I don't have to go through it another year.</p>

11

<p>To Patrick: Same here, my high school has so many prerequisites, making it very hard to take an AP class at all. Even though, it is not altogether impossible. The only AP that freshmen even have a chance of taking is Computer Science I, and that is only if they have concurrent enrollment in Algebra II. Also, I hope with your busy schedule that you can still make time to have fun. :)</p>

<p>To crysalis: Nice to meet you! I used to be in orchestra, but when I moved to Texas, the school district I'm in, didn't have an orchestra program. I played viola, and could play violin by ear. Which instrument do you play? When I was younger, I dreamed of becoming a doctor. I thought it was the only way I could truly help people. But, as I got older, I found out that the sciences weren't my passion, and that I don't have the patience to go through medical school and residency requirements. But, one way or another in whatever profession that I end up in, I would like to help people and make a difference. And, I do agree classes are easier in my hs, but maybe it's because I have grown academically?</p>

12

<p>Oddly enough, this (my Junior) year is the hardest, but the most fun yet. I think High School gets better with each passing year. I presume college will be the same.</p>

13

<p>I hope it does get better year after year, but I think you may be right about that. I hope that college will be the same for you, because it would really suck if all your fun was in high school, but not in college.</p>

14

<p>It really depends. Time didn't fly for me. Even now, in my last semester of high school, I look back and Freshman year seems like a completely different time for me. I had different friends, hung out in different areas, did completely different things. You'll change. You might not enjoy high school, but you'll definitely change. I didn't go to a great high school, though, so if you're lucky, it could be a blast. Freshman year is the year to enjoy. Don't worry at all about academics, just do well and have fun. From what I remember, 9th grade was fun.</p>

15

<p>to Patrick :
For this year at least I'm bored so a challenge will be a welcome relief. My school doesn't let kids take AP's that early because we have 9th grade pre-requisites-but I was part of a gifted program in Middle School and along with another 35 kids in the district for our grade we took the 9th grade courses in 8th grade. Thanks for the warning though,I am a bit worried about Sophomore/Junior year.</p>

<p>To thesiren72102 : I play the violin in orchestra. :) I've been wary of the idea that I might change my mind but as time goes by my passion is only reaffirmed. I find all science relating to humans and how we work(whether that be biology or psychology) simply fascinating and peruse the "Health" sections of news sites daily(yes I'm a nerd!) Do you have another profession in mind now?</p>

<p>Yes, 9th grade is a blast! I can't wait till Tolo. :)</p>

16

<p>This is depressing.</p>

<p>Everything you think you know about yourself now will be wrong by the time you're applying to college. Now go party.</p>

17

<p>To Chrysalis: I also did the acceleration thing, but in my district you are only allowed to accelerate in english and math. I don't think you are a nerd, I'm glad that you have such a stong and genuine passion in the sciences, and want to get into it not because of the money. Some careers I have been thinking about is social service, psychology, writing/journalism (affecting people through the written word), or acting/dancing/performing arts (if I make lots of money, I'll donate most of it, I am very used to living simply, or if I don't make millions, atleast some people can use my performances as a form of escapism). I'll make the decision when the fork on the road comes, for now, I'm content just walking through the path. </p>

<p>To lionswim: Yeah, it would be very unrealistic if we were the same in the future as we are now. By the way, the only the good parties are on fridays and saturdays, not sundays. :)</p>

18

<p>I'm a junior now and as I look back Freshman year was definitely the BEST year...I did absolutely nothing freshman year and had straight A's...Junior year is just work and standardized tests sprinkled with tiny bits of fun...I'm fu*king ready to GRADUATE...I swear when I walk across the stage at graduation I'm going to do backflips...I'll be out of this PRISON...</p>

19

<p>thesiren72102:<br>
My Catholic high school basically has the same environment as my local public high school just with better academics. I don't feel out of place as most of the kids aren't even that religious. </p>

<p>For debate, I just started doing CX Policy Debate, so I'm spending a lot of time researching on Congo. Arggg! but from the beginning of the year I have been doing Oratory in the speech portion of Speech and Debate which is okay, but I think debate will be much more fun and worthile.</p>

20

<p>For reals guys, it goes by WAYYY too quick...and you will have plenty of time to worry about all that college shiznit when you're older...and yes I am going to say it for probably the 50th time on this thread--GO PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!</p>