My Advice to Freshmen by Kianna

My Advice to Freshmen by Kianna - March 2019 Scholarship Essay

As a freshman in high school, I wish I would have had someone that took the time to show me the ropes because it would have been great to be ahead rather than feeling behind.

Knowing who you are and what you want to do after you graduate is a major part of being a high school student. Too many students enter college not knowing what they want to do and end up changing their major which is a waste of time and money. Try to work on establishing a base for who you want to be. From the moment you become a freshman in high school, you should start checking on classes, school clubs, and activities that will help you to become college ready and be better prepared for your future. Do not wait until you are a senior to begin looking into colleges and the programs they offer. When I was a freshman, I remember thinking that four years was a long time. I did not need to know where I wanted to go at that time, nor what I wanted to do when I got there. However, those four years go by fast.

No matter how many times we want to argue with our parents about how time flies, high school goes by in a blur. Procrastination will never be your friend. If you put things off, you will fall behind in your classes and your grades will end up dropping. High school is not like middle school where teachers are on your back constantly about missing papers. From the beginning of high school, you need to gain maturity and get serious about school. You have to realize that you are the only one that can control whether you succeed or not. The teachers can only do so much to help you, but you need to decide to help yourself.

We are told all the time to never be ashamed of who we are and to embrace ourselves. Honestly, that cannot be stressed enough. Focus on finding yourself by becoming involved with school clubs and activities and seeing what you are interested in and good at doing. Prevent getting sucked into the high school mindset, which is to live while you are young and that what you do in high school does not matter ten years from now, because in reality, it does. The school activities you are involved in brightens your resume, and always turning in papers and projects will increase your GPA. Developing study habits will prepare you for college-level work. Also, pay attention to the people you associate with. Make sure your friends are as dedicated as you are and concerned about their grades rather than their popularity.

Popularity is definitely something that will not be on your resume for college or a job. Do not waste precious time, try to find good encouraging friends who are willing to get together and form a study group. It would be great if you found a good senior mentor who you can look up to or go to if you have any problems or questions. A mentor who can guide you, encourage you, or give advice on how to get along with certain teachers is almost a necessity.

Having a guide will help you through your new high school experience and keep you on track. Knowing what you want to do and what it takes for you to succeed will prepare you for college and shape your future.