The first year in high school can be difficult. As many teachers, parents and older siblings recount, it can require much more effort to get good grades, be involved and manage your social life. Luckily, Cy Woods is full of students who have survived freshman year, and have plenty of tips to offer.

PROCRASTINATION

Sophomores Lia Martinez and Isabella Hernandez might not have a lot in common, but they can agree on their struggle of prioritizing high school classes. Going from middle school to high school can be a big jump, and students have to learn how to manage their time better. Martinez urges freshmen to not put off doing homework and to work on it whenever they get the chance.

“Say you’re going to practice or something,” Martinez said. “Do your homework on the way there and on the way home. If it’s a long drive, that’s whenever you do your homework.”

One strategy that Hernandez uses to not forget homework is setting alarms on her phone.  When they go off, it reminds her that she should check that her homework for the day has been completed.

“I do have a planner but sometimes I forget about it,” Hernandez said. “I think having reminders and putting stuff on the alarm clock does help more.”

Taking World History AP as a sophomore, she still struggles occasionally with the amount of homework and practice it requires out of school.

“Every now and then I struggle with procrastination because I have more homework as a sophomore doing advanced placement or AP level classes,” Hernandez said.

STUDYING

Many middle school classes don’t require much studying or extra practice to maintain a good grade. Some middle school students don’t learn how to study because they never needed to, and this may leave them unprepared for high school.

“In middle school, you didn’t really have to study a lot, and now you’re in high school,” Hernandez said. “You are having to study more to get good grades.”

In high school, students may find themselves needing to study for the first time. Freshman Scarlett Featherston didn’t have much trouble maintaining her grades in middle school, but this year she found herself struggling with classes.

“I don’t study, so I should probably start,” Featherston said. “Biology is my challenge. I’m probably gonna have to face that.”

Featherston anticipates a challenge with a few of her classes, especially biology. This is one of the classes she decided to start studying for, as not all of the topics make sense to her. Specifically, biology and algebra are difficult to understand. This year she is using a planner which allows her to plan ahead to prepare for tests, finish homework, and make time for studying. Freshmen may want to find new strategies like planners to help them overcome new challenges.

BEING INVOLVED

Hernandez thinks freshmen should spend time involving themselves in school activities by going to games, clubs and pep rallies. She wishes she involved herself more in extracurriculars her freshman year, so now she is branching out, but she feels a bit behind in her high school life because of her late start.

“I think it really helps with your high school experience,” Hernandez said. “It’s not just about academics.”

During freshman year, Martinez’s favorite memory was being involved in volleyball and going to tournaments. She was also excited by all of the clubs available, sports that you could participate in and events to attend, like the kickball tournament.

 “I think being involved, doing sports and clubs are your best moments in high school,” Martinez said. “Get involved; I think you’re gonna have a great high school life if you’re constantly doing stuff and being involved in the school and different clubs. It’ll make your high school life more enjoyable.”

During freshman year, students may find themselves lost when given more responsibility. Other students have plenty of advice to offer, whether it will help your academic or social life. High school is a time to try new things and discover new interests. It is crucial to high school success to involve yourself in clubs or extracurricular activities. High school doesn’t have to be a challenge. Good luck Wildcats!