Freshman Advice

The inside scoop needed to survive high school

  Are you intimidated, confused, or stressed about your freshman year? Have no fear, the upperclassmen are here!  They were excited to share their experiences and outlined some key advice for high school success.

“I wish someone told me to try out a lot of clubs. Go to all the interest meeting and then throughout high school you can narrow it down.” – Charitha Vennapusa, sophomore

  Freshman year is your chance to experiment and discover what truly interests you. Do not be afraid to try out a club just because your friends are not interested. Your passions will last longer than many of your high school friendships. If the club is exciting, you will not need your friends there to have fun. You can also meet people with similar mindsets and make new friends. 

“Have a fun freshman year, go to football games, hang out with friends. You will not have as much time for it later so make the year count.” – Charitha Vennapusa, sophomore

   The workload for freshman is light in comparison to future years. Take advantage of the opportunity and immerse yourself in the school’s culture, strengthen your friendships, and create good relationships with your teachers. Having a strong home base is crucial for the upcoming years. You alone control your future here at Oakton. If you allow yourself to experience all the great things Oakton and your peers have to offer, you will be able to appreciate the school. Just remember to enjoy the freshman experience while it lasts.

“Academically, I am so glad I did well freshmen year. Working hard in freshmen year padded my GPA when I got a B in junior year. It was so much easier to dig myself out of a hole that I saw a lot of my friends get into.” – Sophia Applegate, senior

   Although it is important to develop socially as a freshman, your school work should be a priority. As the high school experience continues, classes will get harder, and your GPA harder to maintain. If you have established strong grades as a freshman, your stress levels over future years will be significantly lower. Furthermore, when it comes around to senior year, you do not want your goals compromised because you lacked effort freshman year. The key is to keep things in perspective and keep looking forwards to the future.

“If I could go back, I wish I did more things in advance and scheduled things with my friends. I also wish I was more confident. I always worried about if I looked bad or if my hair looked okay or if I had a zit. I focused on the things that turned out to not really matter.” – Sophia Applegate, senior

   As confidence levels are still developing, it’s hard to take these words to heart. However, focusing on the long term goal helps. Furthermore, participating in activities that excite you, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and putting your full effort into your studies will help your confidence levels. By proving to yourself that you are capable, you decrease your dependence on others validation. Additionally, a strong friend group can improve self confidence. Encourage your friends, by improving their confidence, they will help you improve yours.

   Sophia Applegate sums up the freshman experience well. Applegate said, “It’s a juggle between doing super well freshmen year and being involved. Even if it’s joining something outside of Oakton, whether that be volunteer opportunities or like I started an ESLI chapter at Oakton, which is the biggest thing I’ve done. I’m not saying you have to start your own club, but getting involved is so important. I think for freshmen it’s about trying new things and finding your place and where you belong in the Oakton community.”