Freshman year does matter! by Madison

Freshman year does matter! by Madison - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

Starting high school is one of the most exciting yet fearful milestones in a student’s life. While there may be the thrill of extracurricular activities, clubs and concerts, there is also the late night study sessions and hard dedication put into the courses. Many incoming freshman, including myself at the time, do not know what to expect or some assume all will be a piece of cake. To any incoming freshman however I have the same advice: keep grades up, get involved and leave occasions for personal time.

Although I realize it is only freshman year and thinking about college seems so far away, the next four years will fly by and soon enough it will be graduation day. It is very important to maintain grades that colleges want to see because they will look!

Joining extracurricular activities and clubs is a great way to meet new people and have a great high school experience. Colleges also find these involvements impressive and offer many scholarships and grants to those students. I recommend joining one or two activities or clubs and to continue with them as long as possible instead of getting overwhelmed with too much to handle. Quality over quantity!

My last piece of advice is the most important in my opinion; have personal time. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends but every now and then I need time to relax and occupy myself with things that I enjoy alone. It may seem silly now but having personal time allows you to gain focus and overall stay less stressed when it comes to school.

I like to think of high school as a time of preparation. My future is important to me and I made sure I did all I could to set up what I wanted for myself once I graduate. I maintained high grades, got involved in different clubs and relaxed to keep myself focused throughout my four years of school. Now I am a senior planning on graduating in May 2015 and start my first semester of college at Northern Arizona University the following year. Take this advice and I welcome to high school.