Regardless of being a freshman, sophomore, or even a junior, navigating high school can be difficult. Whether you’re having trouble deciding what classes you should take in the future, how to manage school, work, and your social life, or just how to have a fulfilled high school experience. We’re fortunate enough to be at a school with students older than us who’ve had more high school experiences and are familiar with the playing field that is high school. Even more luckily, they can give advice, as well as maybe even answer these seemingly impossible questions that any underclassmen may have.
When questioned how she would describe her high school experience, West High senior, Angela Peña explained, “Since my freshman year was online during covid, it was overall just boring. I feel like I didn’t socialize as much as I’d hoped to throughout the rest of my high school years, since I worried people wouldn’t want to be my friend, which is why I chose to keep my circle small.
Despite this, I would still say I had a good time, and school got better after covid.” When asked if she had any advice to give underclassmen based off her high school experience, Peña said, “Friends aren’t going to stay with you throughout your whole entire life, but focusing on tests,
homework, and just school in general can benefit you more in the future and help you get a job. Don’t slack off, always put your best effort into your schoolwork, but also don’t forget to go out and have fun as well, since once you’re an adult you won’t be able to as often.”
Senior Nathanial Divera relates his high school experience to, “It definitely had its ups and downs, but the times where I had the most fun were when I participated in extracurricular and after school events outside of just homework and my AP classes.”
Diveras’ advice to underclassmen would be, “Branching out, going to school events, and overall, just making new friends can make your experience much better than keeping more to yourself. I regret stressing over the classes I planned on taking, and would recommend not only taking more challenging classes, but also ones that interest you, since they’re free and won’t continue to be later in life. Make the most out of what you can do in high school and take opportunities to try new things, because at the end of the day, what’s there to lose?”
Senior Luisa Nava explains her high school experience as, “It was a little rough, fun, and surprisingly went by very fast. I mainly focused on my classwork, but I do believe it’s important to have a social life. What I mean by this is meet new people, hangout with others, but don’t forget to stay on top of your work.” Nava’s advice to underclassmen would be to, “Choose your friends wisely, find that even balance of your academic and social life, and keep your grades up. Since my freshman year was online, I found myself slacking off more, which I now regret since I’m paying the price for it in the present.”
Although it may not seem like it, time is moving quickly. Take that class you were considering, join that club, and turn in that assignment even though you have no desire to do it. Most importantly, remember to be easy on yourself and have fun; you’re only a kid once!
