Advice to an Incoming Freshman by Corinne

Advice to an Incoming Freshman by Corinne - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

Transitioning from middle school to high school can be a scary process; but do not worry it is not as scary as you think! I'm sure you have heard many horror stories about the upperclassmen being mean and the classes being really hard but that is all false. High school is a lot of fun and it is where a lot of my favorite memories were made. From homecoming football games all the way to prom there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy yourself. However, my one piece of advice is to dedicate time to your academics.

When I was in high school I was fortunate enough to understand the subjects being covered pretty easily, so I thought it was not necessary to try my hardest. I could not have been more wrong. I slacked off in school and decided that hanging out with my friends and focusing on my extra curricular activities was way more important than studying for a test I had the next day. As you can imagine I learned my lesson the hard way, I failed the first test given in all of my classes. It was not until after I failed all of my tests that my math teacher pulled me aside and said to me "Corinne, nothing is more important that your freshman year in high school or in college because it sets the tone for the rest of your academic success." With this piece of advice in mind, I was able to completely turn around my study habits and my grades went back to where they should have been (all A's and B's).

While it is important to have fun and experience everything you can when you are younger, you cannot forget that your academics are more important than some event you went to in high school. The decisions you choose to make, especially, in your freshman year will set a precedent for the other decisions you have to make in life. That is why it is better to learn how to handle succeeding academically now when you have your teachers to push you to do better, rather than later when you have to motivate yourself to complete the work. Remember that your freshman year is the most important year and while you should have fun and enjoy it, you need to be cautious and make sure all of your homework is done before going out with your friends.