1. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD IF YOU ARE BRINGING COFFEE/ETC. TO SCHOOL GET A SPILLPROOF CUP. rn i am flashing back to the month old coffee that got spilled in my locker, and how much i gagged whilst trying to clean it up. everything smelled like spoiled milk and it was awful. please get a spillproof cup.
2.you won’t need half the stuff you think you do. literally just get one big binder, some lined paper, a couple pens/pencils, and some highlighters.
3. don’t fuck w/ your sleep schedule. i speak from experience.
4. if you take gym, always bring your gym clothes even on the first day of class.
5. be nice to your teachers and they will let things slide. (i.e. late work, your inevitable sass)
6. holy shit don’t lose your textbooks/required reading/library books. pls just don’t.
7. always do the required reading because the one day you don’t will be the day there’s a goddamn pop quiz. also try to buy your own copy of the required reading, because a) the school copies are usually really old and gross and b) you can mark yours up. its super helpful to highlight and write in the margins, and then you dont need to take notes!!!
8. nobody really cares if you date/don’t date.
9. speaking of dating, DONT DATE THE SENIORS JESUS CHRIST
10. be nice to yourself. one bad grade isn’t the end of the world.
11. im gonna repeat this because it’s crucial: BUY A MOTHERFUCKING SPILLPROOF CUP.
12. don’t stand in the middle of the damn hallway. pick a side. don’t walk slow/text while walking either.
13. your english teacher will either be super chill and or satan spawn, there is no in between.
14. bring ur headphones. bring ur charger.
15. when you do shakespeare try to watch the film versions too. the plays aren’t meant to be read, they are meant to be watched and it will make understanding so much easier.
16. be nice to your friends. they’ll let you copy their homework.
17. don’t fuck around with your grades tho. pls try your hardest because all those D’s will kill your college choices.
18. don’t be nervous, it’s just another school year. you’ll do great :)
love,
a sophomore who’s done her time
*rules and conditions may apply to number three if you are a tumblr user
As a soon to be senior I would like to add a few things
19. Better grades (in U.S. at least) equal cheaper car insurance with some companies so there’s some more motivation for good grades
20. If you bring your charger and share it you will be the lord and Savior of your classes I PROMISE
21. Bring snacks the first day you will get munchies.
22. Be prepared for icebreakers and speaches of “you will all love each other and be social butterflies” from some teachers/classes
23. When it does come to dances eventually bring your friends. If you have a date of whom you are emotionally invested in then yeah take them to the dance, but don’t go out with someone just so you have a date to the dance. If your single just get your friends and be as loud as possible its way more chill
24. Be nice to those you sit next to… That way when you forget your text book you can mooch off of them silently and quietly with out the teacher asking them to share their book with you in front of the whole class. Yeah. Some teachers do that.
25. Spark notes and cliff notes are God’s gift for English class.
very true, thank u for the addition. the spark notes one especially tho
ALSO:
26. Don’t talk during class unless you’re called on/the teacher gives you free time. It’s annoying, no one thinks you’re cool, and you will miss important stuff. Seriously just wait until break.
27. When doing group projects, even if you’re working with upperclassmen, CONTRIBUTE. Not only will you do better if there is a quiz over the material, but you may make some new friends by actually talking.
28. For the love of pete DONT TEXT/BE ON YOUR PHONE AT ALL IN CLASS. I know some teachers allow phones and everyone around you may be on twitter, but don’t. Again, you will miss important things.
Overall, just be yourself (cliché I know) and know your place. You’re a freshman, so remember that. No matter what you do or how many seniors you impress, you are still just a freshman, and that’s okay. Pay attention in your classes because even though you may feel/look “cool” to some people now, when you’re applying to colleges and need teacher recommendations, they are going to write a way more glowing paper about the attentive, cooperative student than the one who showed up late everyday and never payed attention. Most importantly, though, is remember that you’re fine. Take breaks and breathe. You got this.
yES THE TALKING IN CLASS ONE. like honestly if u talk ur probs just gonna annoy everyone else who’s trying to listen.
29. DATE YOUR WORK, seriously when you drop your folder and everything falls out, its so helpful to have the dates on to be able to put it back in order so you can find everything again, plus it helps when you dont know if you were there for something your friends will be able to say it was on such and such a date, and you can easily find what you were looking for
30. keep your folders organised, it will make your life so much easier, do your fucking homework on time oh my god
31. ALWAYS BRING HEADPHONES
32. always remember a pen oh my god like keep one spare in your bag and a spare in your folder and a spare in your car if you have a car
33. i reccommend a four hole binder so stuff doesnt rip and fall out, youll need to keep a hole punch in your bag at all times tho
34. dont let stuff explode in your bag, make sure you take out any fruit you forgot to eat, try to keep things from leaking omfg i was the worst for this
35. make group chats with your friends from specific classes, itll be a lifesaver when it comes to ‘shit did we have homework due tomorrow’/‘i dont understand this thing can u help me’
36. keep a memory stick on your keys so you always have one
37. Memrise is really great if you need to learn theories, quotes or formulas
Memrise is brilliant for anything you need to memorise, especially language vocab, historical dates, technical terms for sciences or analysis, and you can create your own courses, so you can have anything you like in your courses.
If you share your memrise courses with your classmates, they will be eternally grateful when it comes to exams and tests
This stuff is useful for anyone going back to school, not just freshmen!