Tip: Picture day but it’s hot, your sweaty and in a cafeteria with hundreds of other students? No problem! Carry around blotting sheets, a compact and mattifying powder/no sebum powder. Or just powder your face before heading into the cafeteria.
The second thing I wish I knew was that there weren’t any defined cliques or levels of hierarchy (other than the grades of course) in the student body. You aren’t going to be judged and then immedietly thrown into the nerd clique or the popular clique. It’s up to you to weed out who you’re going to get along with and who you might be intimidated by. This was kind of a smack in the face because -at the time- I was even shyer than I am now. There’s a huge difference of shyness from me back in grade 9 and me now in grade 11.
Tip: If you want to be able to scope out friends and whatnot, arrive a bit early and talk to whoever is walking about before the rush starts. This way you get a chance to really get a conversation going before you’re separated by surnames and the crush of student bodies going in separate directions. Remember to compare schedules to see if you share any classes too!
Next thing I wish I knew before starting high school is really a myth I believed in since 5th grade; high school teachers are the worst and are really strict. This, I found out around the 2nd or 3rd day, was a huge lie. Well, sort of, one more year to go! My teachers were pretty chill but they weren’t the type to let you go if you have overdue work. They weren’t the “do whatever you want” teachers nor were they the ones who’d want everything perfect and precise, the teachers I’ve had so far were perfectly in the middle.
Tip: If you find that you aren’t doing really well in a class, talk to your teacher about it. You aren’t going to turn into a teacher’s pet or “nerd” by talking to them about your grades and where you need improvement. Ask for extra help if needed as well, they’re being paid to help you so why not take advantage by getting good marks? Honor roll looks good on a resume…*hint, hint*
Another thing I wish I knew when I first started high school was that locker shelves aren’t necessary. If you are like me and have the bare minimum in your locker, you probably won’t need it. My locker only has a copy of my schedule, and my textbooks. I also use my locker occasionally if I have to store Bristol boards or projects. I literally asked my mom to spend $10 for two shelves that didn’t even end up being used because the bottom of my locker has a broken shelf attached to it.
Tip: If you’re in my situation with the un-needed locker shelf, you could always repurpose it for another use, give it to a younger sibling or give it to a friend if they need it. Of course if you spent a lot to get it you could always sell it off to someone. . .
