Molly Fox '26
In my first year of high school, I believe I had a good head on my shoulders, but some guidance may have been helpful.
1. Find a core group - I met my best friend on the very first day of school and my group slowly formed. I think it is important to have a few close people that you trust.
2. Meet upperclassmen - Besides my senior sister, I found getting advice from sophomores, juniors, and other seniors was really helpful, especially when I was choosing classes for next year.
3. Don’t degrade or look down on other schools - When buddies come remembering not to say anything negative about other schools seemed to be a selling point because they saw me as a positive person.
4. Test your limits - As a freshman, I performed a solo in the Spring Concert and became freshman representative while being in all honors classes. It may have been stressful at times, but it definitely was an accomplishment.
5. Join clubs and sports - Joining a team is a great way to become friends with people because of how much time you spend together. Clubs are less of a time commitment but you bond with the people who also joined.
6. Take work seriously - If you have the time and motivation, get as much work done as possible because it builds up if you don’t stay on top of it.
7. Do your own thing - If you have an interest in something, act on it. You may not have friends who are doing the same thing as you, but that does not mean you should give up on it. Go into it alone, meet new people there, and your friends will cheer you on from the sidelines.
8. Aim high - You aren’t going to get everything you want because there are other people going for the same thing, but try out anything you want because you can say that you tried.
9. Be prepared for failure - As I said, everything isn’t going to go as you plan, so expect the best but plan for the worst.
10. Ask questions during class - There are no silly questions and there is a good chance there is someone else in the class wondering the same thing. Just because it isn’t your strong suit, doesn’t mean you should be embarrassed to get clarity on it.
11. Get help from teachers outside of class - In some schools, there are free periods which are great times to ask for help, but you can always go before school or during lunch to get help from a teacher. It is their job to teach and your job as a student to work to the best of your ability.
12. Don’t overwork yourself - Stress can be very draining which can stop you from doing your very best. Taking breaks is important to refresh yourself on everything you need to do. You remember panicking over the work more than the actual material.
13. Take pictures - There are so many times when you need pictures, whether it be posting for somebody’s birthday or when it comes time for your senior yearbook. Take as many pictures as possible to look back on.
14. You do not need to be best friends with everyone but have colleagues - Sometimes you have classes with people you aren’t close with or have classes without any of your friends. That doesn’t mean you can’t get to know the people in your class, work with new people, or make new friends, and it especially comes in handy when you are doing a group project.
15. Take any opportunity - I think this summarizes: aim high, be prepared, take work seriously, and do your own thing. Some opportunities are more stressful than others and may be more time-consuming so to get an opportunity, you have to know how to manage your time.
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