For All:
Iain: Figure out what you love and then do it to the best of your ability.
Cory: Just stay true to yourself and keep doing what you love, no matter how popular it is.
Max: Don’t work that hard.
Luke: Trust yourself. There are gonna be a lot of people telling you what to do—and definitely take people’s advice—but in the end, you should do what you think is gonna be best for you in the long run. After all, you’re the one who deals with your own decisions.
Alex: Give yourself time to study for things. I usually only do things the night before, and that didn’t work well.
Matthew: Really use your Google Calendar for everything.
Aimee: Cherish the moment ‘cause it really does go by fast. And also, start everything early.
Yug: Don’t stress, it’s not worth worrying about small things that probably won’t matter 10 years down the road.
Lucia: Surround yourself with people who make you a better person.
For Freshmen:
Shayla: Join clubs and open new things to start off high school strong. Focus on work but also have fun. This is probably the most stressful year of high school.
Andie: Get good grades to build your GPA cushion. In theory these should be your easiest classes so take advantage. Also start building relationships with your teachers and get involved in clubs.
Noah: Join clubs, find out what you like and don’t like. Really a year where you actually have a lot of leniency to explore yourself, and now that you’re in high school, you actually have the ability to do it. If you are worried about classwork, especially for your grades for college admissions, don’t be too concerned (although you can’t just not try), most don’t weigh it heavily (as a matter of fact Stanford does not consider freshman year for your GPA calculation). I truly mean it when I say you have a lot of flexibility in freshman year.
Julia: My advice would be to prioritize what you’re doing outside of school. In terms of classes, this is often the easiest year. It’s good to figure out early on what kinds of subjects and activities you actually enjoy. Doing this may aid you in not only career and/or college major considerations, but also in developing hobbies and making friends, both of which can keep you sane when life gets stressful.
Aaron: Try everything you think of and more, whether it be classes, clubs, or anything else to help you find what you want to continue through high school.
Vicky: It’s so exciting being a freshman because the possibilities of your high school career are limitless! I would recommend finding the balance between confidently and unapologetically being yourself while still being humble and respectful enough to not be annoying (don’t affirm the stereotype too hard). But don’t be scared to be “uncool,” and support your peers who are also showing vulnerability.
Cat: Figure out how you learn best, whether that’s through taking notes, engaging in discussions, or going to office hours. Getting a grasp on that will help you study more consistently. Also get to know your teachers.
Ethan: Build good relationships with your teachers.
Sua: Try everything out like clubs and flexes, figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are in academics.
For Sophomores:
Shayla: Start to lock in and don’t get discouraged if things start to get challenging. I think this is a great time to start building a really great work ethic. Also, everyone starts driving late sophomore year, so get your license.
Andie: Continue to get good grades and challenge yourself in hard courses.
Noah: Really try connecting with teachers, (they tend to grade you better when you actually talk to them outside of class, plus really good for letters of recommendation later on). Really, a simple hello to your teachers does wonders as it shows the teacher that you see them as a fellow person and not just some guy who won’t round up a 92.94. Also really look for something productive to do over the summer; colleges aren’t super big fans of idleness.
Julia: I think this is the best year to develop good work habits. I would recommend taking at least one class (like Advanced Studies history, science, or language) that you know will really challenge you because if you’re going to try and fail (which is how you learn, I should add), it’s best to do it earlier. For high school specifically, I think learning good work habits involves learning how to be consistent and also learning where to cut corners. Don’t study in a certain way if you don’t feel as if you are learning efficiently. Trust your gut. What works for others may not work for you. If a strategy hasn’t worked in the past, don’t keep using it.
Aaron: Make good habits so you aren’t figuring life out on top of working super hard later in 11th grade.
Vicky: The advantage to being in 10th grade is that the classes haven’t gotten as demanding and challenging yet. Take advantage of sophomore year as the last chance to really solidify at least a couple of solid study practices. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to look dumb. Know that you are never dumb. Be fearlessly curious. Ask that dang question!
Cat: Try to build good study habits so junior year is less stressful and start studying for the SAT early.
Ethan: Find opportunities in the summer.
Sua: This is the year when people start parting ways and figuring out what they want to do. I would start thinking about the classes you want to take next year since you need recs for most honors classes.
For Juniors:
Shayla: Don’t stress because everyone says junior year is the hardest; it really depends. Just work hard and have fun. Maybe start to think about college and work on finding lists or starting applications at the end. But don’t fall to all the pressure of what everyone says about junior year.
Andie: Go time part 2. Choose classes that you’re actually interested in and think about what teachers to ask for recs. Start taking standardized tests and getting submittable scores.
Noah: Probably the hardest year. The number one thing you should know going into this year now that you have more freedom over your schedule is to pick classes based on who’s teaching them [as well as topics/content–editor’s note]. Depending on your course rigor I should note that if you haven’t developed study habits yet, you probably should now. Also, learn to take shortcuts. I genuinely mean it that some of these classes are too rigorous to actually learn the content for. Learn the content during the summer if you really are passionate about the subject, but when Junior year grades are on the line, study the class, not the subject. If you are one of those straight A tryhards, you will probably feel super stressed and sad all the time from how much school work you are doing. Just know that as long as you aren’t going into investment banking or electrical engineering, this is probably the hardest it’s gonna get. (except first semester senior year :p). If you are going into one of those fields, this is your life now, and I’m sorry for you. Also try to land something over the summer, and if it’s a job, start applying as early as possible, the current job market just sucks.
Julia: This was (at least for me) just sophomore year 2. If your sophomore year went well or you at least got your act together by the end of your sophomore year, you should be fine. Start taking your extracurriculars seriously if you haven’t already. Meet with your college counselor and make sure you aren’t missing anything important.
Aaron: Enjoy the journey and realize how fun it is to be determined like you are in such a busy year. Also, just do your best and worry about outcomes later, it all works out and there is a lot more life after just junior year to figure things out.
Vicky: Second half of junior year, as the threat of the application process becomes more imminent, try and not let the stress get to you. Yes things matter, but to a certain point. If the worry and stress starts hurting instead of helping you, take a step back to breathe. Breathing and being in the moment does wonders for your mental health, thus increasing performance in school, the real world, and beyond!
Cat: Get a good draft of your personal statement done early so you don’t have to stress about it later, and try to get to know everyone in your grade.
Sua: This is when people really start to do their own things. It’s important that you don’t compare what you’re doing to what other people are doing. There is no right or wrong pathway.
For Seniors:
Andie: LOCK IN SUMMER BEFORE to finish your personal statement and UCs. Finalize your college list and still stay on top of your classes. Have fun!!
Julia: Don’t take a bunch of work-heavy classes this year. You are going to need spare time to write your college essays in the first semester and take 6 hour naps in the second semester.
