Freshman Advice

Emily Mann
Staff Writer ‘15
You are the new kid, you are starting fresh, you are nervous, you are excited… You are a freshman. Freshman year is an exciting new start, although it can also be a little intimidating.It is also one of the most important years of high school. Freshman year is the beginning of your high school career and should be taken very seriously.  Here are some great tips for starting off strong and surviving your freshman year of high school.

Tip #1: Keep up your GPA. Of course having a good GPA is always important but it is especially important your Freshman year because it starts your cumulative GPA for the rest of your high school career. That cumulative GPA is what colleges will look at as well after high school. Therefore, it is extremely important to start out with a high GPA so you do not struggle bringing it up the rest of high school.

Tip #2: Get involved. Joining sports and clubs is always a great way to meet new friends. Not only do extra-curricular activities look awesome on college applications but also offers an opportunity to meet upperclassman and give back to NCC.

Tip #3: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. As mentioned before keeping up a high GPA is so important. Although it may be kind of scary to ask a new teacher for help outside of the class room for extra tutoring, it is not a big deal at all. Teachers are there to help and it shows initiative as well. With that in mind, do not feel awkward asking a ton of questions in class as well. Asking questions and making mistakes is part of the learning process.

Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to step out of your friend circle from 8th grade. Go out of your way to make new friends on your sports team and in your classes as well. If you want to join an activity that your main friends aren’t part of, go for it! High school is too short to not branch out, try new things, and make new friends.

Tip #5: WALK ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE HALLWAY. Nothing is more annoying than trying to get to your class on time and having to navigate and bump into a bunch of freshman. Just kidding! Well, not really…

Your freshman year will be an exciting, important, and very memorable year! Enjoy it while it lasts!