1. STAY ORGANIZED!!
- I don’t think many people realize how important being organized actually is. It’s really helpful to keep past assignments as well as current ones organized.
2. Surround yourself with people who will help you grow.
- I think that the statement “You are who you surround yourself with” is very, very accurate. Jim Rohn, an entrepreneur and author, first popularized the “Average of 5,” stating that you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
3. It is more important to learn and understand than it is to memorize and still be confused.
- Every single thing you are taught is plausible information; you just have to be open enough to accept whatever it is. Paying attention in class and noting everything you write down will be extremely helpful in the long run.
4. Study throughout the unit.
- Typically, at the end of a unit, teachers will give you a review guide. However, despite review guides being quite useful. It is more beneficial to start studying before you even get a review guide, so that by the time the rest of the class begins studying with the review guide, you have already analyzed and understood all the concepts and information.
5. Ask for help.
- Whether you believe it or not, teachers are there for you. They will understand everything that you don’t, so ask for help.
6. Be kind.
- A lot of people think high school comes with cliques and popularity… It doesn’t. Just be yourself, and be kind. It doesn’t matter what you look like; if you’re rude, everyone will hate you.
7. Try something new!
- I think high school, especially freshman year, is the best time to try something new. A world of opportunities is open before you, and it’s best to try new things early in high school.
8. Don’t overload yourself.
- Never take on more than you can handle. Teachers won’t give you more work than you can do, so don’t add things to make your own life more difficult.
9. Focus on yourself, not other people.
- Literally, mind your own business. Once you start talking about other people, they’ll start talking about you, and not in a good way.
10. Avoid drama.
- Be mature, don’t spread lies, and just focus on school and sports.
11. Sleep does matter.
- I feel like there have been many times that I stayed up until 2:00 AM because I wanted to curl my hair or do last-minute homework. Disclosure: It’s not worth it. Also, when you are asleep, your body is getting fueled. High schoolers need that fuel.
12. Use your time wisely.
- Most people have at least an hour they can use to do work. A lot of people, especially student athletes, say that hour is their time to relax. It’s not. You can relax while you’re asleep.
13. Give 100%.
- I don’t think people realize how much they are capable of doing. You have the time, you have the energy, just use it. There’s no point in doing anything without trying your best. Effort shows in your results.
14. Plan ahead.
- This goes hand in hand with using your time wisely. Plan ahead. If you know you have an athletic event on Tuesday night but an essay due Wednesday morning, use the time you have on Monday.
15. Do your work on time.
- Late work makes things harder for you and your teachers; just turn in your work before it’s due.
16. Learn from your mistakes.
- The most successful people have failed more times than anyone else has tried.
17. Do things that challenge you.
- The word “Easy” should not have a place in your life. If you find everything easy, you are learning nothing.
18. Listen more than you talk.
- Listening is one of the most valuable skills a person can have. Speaking is great, but people should learn when it’s their time.
19. Never call your teacher “Teacher.”
- By mid-semester, you should know all of your teachers’ names. If you don’t, take the time to. Your teachers learn about 100 students’ names; can’t you take the time to learn theirs?
20. Food is fuel.
- Food is genuinely so important, and skipping meals is not worth it. Food helps feed your body and your mind. You literally need it to survive.