Advice to High School Freshmen: Keep Life Simple by Bibiana

Advice to High School Freshmen: Keep Life Simple by Bibiana - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

An incoming high school freshman can find advice in numerous places. The Internet, as well as multiple different magazines are full of tips for surviving high school. These tips include having good relationships, eating healthy food, exercising, staying organized, getting good grades, and participating in clubs and other organizations. These are all good tips, but what happens once a student gets involved in too many clubs or focuses too much on getting perfect grades? Stress, the ultimate enemy in high school. That is why my advice to incoming freshman would be to keep life simple and eliminate anxiety.

Now, does that mean high school students should be lazy and avoid participating in school activities? Of course not. It means that students should only choose activities that they will benefit from. High school students should be independent, and avoid signing up for activities out of peer pressure. They should pursue their own dreams, and go at their own pace.

Avoiding stress also includes appreciating the little things. If a student chooses to enjoy the perks of every day life, he or she will be much more relaxed. Making the most of each moment will make high school an enjoyable experience.

Ultimately, the best way to avoid stress is to clear one's mind. If a major event, test, or deadline is coming up, it is best not to worry about it until one is able to work on it. For example, if a big project is due in a few weeks and one does not have the supplies to work on it, it is best to forget about it for the moment and focus on current assignments until one has the needed materials. Students should focus on the task at hand, and cross their bridges when they come to them.
While there are many ways to excel in high school, overcoming stress is the most important. When a high school student is stressed about one thing, it makes everything else difficult. Stress is the biggest obstacle to overcome in high school. The main piece of advice I would give to an incoming freshman is to avoid it whenever possible.