By: Ifrah Daber 

How sweet was 8th grade? You used to be a big fish in a small pond. You were at the top of the food chain, and now? You have been thrown into the ocean with the sharks. Welcome to Freshman Year! The school, the number of classes, the number of students— everything is vast, and now you are forced to swim. But don’t stress yet, because I, your wise upperclassman, am here to help! With my survival guide for freshman year, I will give you tips and tricks to help you get through it, so let’s get to it! 

First, you must understand the difference between quarter and semester grades. Your quarter grade is the sum of your assessments and assignments. Assessments take up 70% of your grade, while assignments take up the other 30%. So each quarter you will get a final grade, and that affects your semester grade. You have four quarters and two semesters (two quarters per semester). So if you get an A in your first quarter and a C in your second quarter, then you will likely get a B as your semester grade. Simple, right? Well, your grades determine your GPA, and depending on that, they will give you a number between 0 and 4. 0.0 GPA means you have done zero work, getting Fs across the board, and the numbers go up, representing the letter grades. 3.0 GPA means you get mostly B’s, and 4.0 means mostly A’s. I know that all sounds extremely boring, but it’s important to know. 

I could go on for many pages, but who wants to read that? Plus, there is more to school than work. One of the joys of attending a high school like Jeff’s is the number of clubs they offer. From my experience as a young freshman, my biggest problem was just being too scared to join clubs or not knowing where they were. The latter is easier to solve since a lot of clubs promote themselves on the pride slides. These are slides that should be shown to you during impact, but just in case your teachers don’t show them, don’t panic. A lot of clubs also promote themselves during morning announcements. So in the morning after the pledge, you will hear about all the essential information for the day. Also keep in mind how clubs will greatly affect your schedule. High school is the perfect time to branch out and try new things. So don’t miss out on the new opportunities that Jeff High has to offer!

Freshman year can feel overwhelming. It may feel like it will never end, but it’s shorter than you think. Many have survived the torture of freshman year, and so will you. I have put together a list of advice from different groups of people, including graduates, mental health specialists, and upperclassmen. 

The first list of advice is from your upperclassmen; some of them have been kind enough to pass down their logic to you. 

1. Don’t Date Upperclassmen. Just remember the classic rule! If the grades don’t touch, neither should you. 

2. Develop Good Study Habits. You have a decent amount of work to do and tests to complete. So developing a solid study habit now can help you in the future. If you don’t wanna fail, STUDY! STUDY! STUDY! 

3. Don’t Stand In Big Groups. It may seem like no big deal, but once you have experienced the stress of rushing to class only to end up being blocked by a sea of kids moving as fast as morning traffic, you will understand the frustration. You try to go left, you try to go right, but alas, there is no way around them. It’s annoying; If needed try to stay near the sides. don’t be those kids; no one likes traffic. 

4. Stay Caught Up! You get a lot of schoolwork during the school year, so it’s a pain for both you and your teachers to have a lot of missing assignments. So make sure to stay caught up! 

The second list of advice is from a mental health specialist; high school is a hard time for most people mentally. It is hard for a lot of people to deal with the stresses of school, so here is some advice and some resources for you. 

1. Develop a Routine With Your Mental Health In Mind. Just like your study habits, your mental health needs routine; doing certain activities every week or day can help with this. Either exercise, meditate, or do anything that works for you.

2. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help! Whether it’s schoolwork or something more personal, don’t stop yourself from getting help if you need it. I have added some mental health resources at the end of the article in case you ever need someone safe to reach out to. 

The third list of advice is given by previous students, long past their freshman year. These graduates were kind enough to take their years of wisdom and pass it down to you, naive young folk. 

1. Figure Out Your Interest. High school is a great opportunity to explore your interests with a sense of security because you are likely not paying for them. So try new things; don’t be afraid to explore your interests. One of the joys of attending a high school like Jeff’s is the number of clubs they offer. From chess to archery, Jeff is filled with different opportunities to broaden your horizons. 

2. Don’t Go Exploring The Hallways During Passing Periods.You only have five minutes in the hallway. Don’t waste it on unnecessary exploration. You ain’t Dora the Explorer, so just go to class. 

Well that is all I have for you. I wish you the best of luck in your journey of discovery and hope you have a fun and exhilarating freshman year. 

Mental Health Resources: 

Suicide and Crisis Helpline: 1-800-784-2433 

National Eating Disorder Association: 1-800-931-2237 

For LGBTQ Youth: TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386, TrevorText -Text START to 678-678 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Referral Helpline: 1-877-726-4727