Art by Mary Xiao

After all those long years of being with the “little kids,” you finally made it to the top. Congratulations, you are now officially a high-schooler! You’re about to start a very important part of your life and that’s exactly why it’s so crucial to start off on the right foot.

All ninth graders are known as “freshmen.” As some of you may already be painfully aware, here at school, the word “freshman” normally describes a student that is unfamiliar with the high school scene. Fortunately enough, we have compiled a list of tips and tricks of the trade to make your middle-to-high school transition smoother and just that much more bearable.

1. Make good first impressions on teachers. Teachers admire students who are nice to others, listen attentively to lessons, and help other classmates out. You don’t want to overdo it and become a “teacher’s pet” because many students won’t like that. Do be friendly though. Think about it – you’re going to see your teachers every other day for 9 months. Even afterwards, they still talk about you with future teachers. Do yourself a favor and make sure they only have good things to say.

2. Be responsible at lunch. Don’t be late. There are huge lines that can take up your entire half hour, not to mention that by the time you’re through the line there’s nowhere to sit. Second, always carry just a little bit of cash; you don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re out of lunch money with nothing else to eat. Taking a test on an empty stomach is not such a good idea. Also, even with all the delicious and unhealthy foods out there, at least try to keep it healthy.

3. Get involved. You need to be active even after the 2:25 bell rings. You might want to check out some after-school activities. Try them out with friends if you aren’t sure about going. Remember that most clubs don’t require a huge time commitment and you’ll never be “forced” to stay if you’re not having fun. You’ll never know what you like doing if you don’t try, right? Just don’t forget, you’re not only doing clubs and activities for college, you’re doing it for yourself too. Don’t feel obligated to partake in any activity you don’t enjoy.

4. Now is the time for good grades, not later. Make sure to get good grades early in the semester. It’s easier to maintain good grades early on than to slack off until the last few weeks then attempt to bring them up. Following this strategy will also take stress down during finals. If you have good grades going into the semester’s end, finals really don’t mean that much. Speaking of study strategies, never plan on cramming for a test. Easier tests may only require a brief review the night before, but some harder tests may take two to three days of preparation. Also, remember to over-study for the first test of any course. You don’t know how hard your new teacher’s tests are and you don’t want to start off the semester with a big fat “D.” You’re in high school now and teachers aren’t quite as lenient with test corrections.

5. Have your own system. This is essential to doing well in a high school class. Write homework down somewhere, because trust us, as soon as you get home you won’t actually remember it. If you do somehow forget to write it down once or twice, it’s no big deal. Just call or text a friend from that class unless it’s already getting late in the night. At that point, it is preferable to check the teacher’s website for homework as opposed to calling a classmate. Some people simply don’t find early morning to be an ideal time for chatting. Second, learn how to take good, personal notes. If they aren’t detailed enough or if they are too detailed, they simply won’t do you any good. Where’s the line between too little and too much? You decide! Most often, teachers only check notes for completion (if they check at all). Lastly, check your grades on Infinite Campus often. This will help to improve your “system” by helping you stay on top of missing work, due dates and grades. A note about missing work: no matter the reason (absence, forgot it at home, dog ate it), it should be completed ASAP. If you put it off too much, the teacher won’t be happy, and as a result, neither will you.

6. Use your resources. Feel free to ask any teacher a question, class-related or not. All teachers check their school emails throughout the day, so responses are typically speedy. You can always ask other students taking the class to help you with homework, project collaboration, and test practice as well. Just make sure to check in with your teacher regarding his or her policies, as some teachers may want you to work on projects independently. Also there for your support are the Link Leaders. They can answer just about any general question you have. They’re also pretty useful for dealing with issues that you may not be as comfortable discussing with an adult, like bullying or cheating. After all, they’ve been here for two or three years now. Hopefully, they know what they are doing.

7. Make every year count. In high school, slacking off freshman and sophomore years and then making up for it as a junior or senior won’t do you much good. To explain, think of high school as a very long test consisting of 8 questions, each of which represents a single semester. If you miss questions 1, 2, 3 and 4, you’re already not off to a great start. Even if you do well on the other half, it still doesn’t compensate for the first half. That said, what does “missing a question” mean? You get to decide for yourself whether or not you reached your goals. Don’t worry, doing poorly in an entire semester isn’t quite as easy as answering a question on a test wrong. You get plenty of time to think through your choices as well as discuss them with others who can give you some valuable advice.

8. Have a plan laid out for all four years of high-school, not just freshman year. The thought that concerns us all right now is how we’re going to get through the week and to the weekend. Yes, we’re all thinking it. However, sometime or another, the future should get some thought too. Once you get settled in with your courses, and feel like you have the time, take a look at some of the courses Ladue has to offer. Considering the courses you’re taking now, what courses do you want to take next year as a sophomore? How about as a junior and senior? How many credits do you still need? A good strategy is to get through all the required courses within your first two years, leaving your last two years with room for “easier” classes. Talk with your counselor about a general high school plan; the counselors are the school’s scheduling experts!

9. Make wise choices. Learn who makes a good example and who does not. As you will find out, many seniors tend to slack off quite a bit in ways like skipping class and not doing homework. This is commonly referred to as “Senioritis.” Those with apparent Senioritis symptoms should not be taken as examples. Deciding not to do homework for no reason even once will damage your grade some way or another, and by not showing up to class, not only will you miss content, but your parents will get a call too. Also, don’t do stupid things at parties. Chances are that you’ll later regret that you did something you weren’t allowed to do, sometimes by law. Picking friends wisely will help keep you out of doing bad things. At the same time however, remember to be tolerant of everybody, regardless of if you are best friends or not.

10. Bring on the Ram Pride! Get in touch with the Ladue Community. There’s tons of school spirit activities to partake in. Whether it’s being a cheerleader, Laduette dancer, Blue Crew member, or simply dressing up crazy during spirit week, there’s always a way to promote Ladue Blue. Be on the lookout for major sporting events too; it’s tons of fun to cheer for your school decked out in blue with friends and family!