Prepare for High School

High school is the time in your schooling life where you might start to get a little nervous, but there is really no need to worry. As long as you stick to a few simple steps, you will be good to go. You will be saying goodbye to your little middle school and hello to the big time the fast pace of the high school, which might be a little scary at first. But eventually, you will get used to it, and then be able to enjoy some of the best years of learning in your life.

Steps

Studying

  1. Select a good study space. This will be where you study, do homework and Reading/assignments and complete schoolwork. Whether it is in your bedroom or on a spare table in the living room, anything will do. Working on the kitchen table/bench or any other place that has to be moved frequently probably isn't a good idea. If you don't have a place, ask your parents to get you a desk. High School is the best time to get one.
  2. Arrange your work space so you have all the required items to complete your work. You will need these items and it is highly recommended as it is not only good study wise, but also good for your health.
    • Grab a table lamp or a desk light and place it on your working bench. This will help the lighting of your workspace.
    • You might need to hit the stores for this step. Go shopping and pick out some fun stationery for study time only. Try buying the basics - pencils, erasers, pens, white out (if you write in pen), a ruler, a sharpener and a note pad. You might want to grab a stationery holder or something of that sort to hold all your things. Keep your stationery strictly for study and homework time only though, because this could cost a lot.
    • Buy a plastic drawer. They are only A4 sized (length/width wise) and have a couple of drawers ideal to keep homework and study notes etc in. They are also quite cheap so it won't break your budget.

Mentally Preparing

  1. Prepare yourself mentally for high school. These are the years during which you will experience considerable emotional, mental and physical growth. It is important to be prepared for the changes ahead, as well as understanding that the schooling during these years is laying down the foundations for your future, and in many ways, for the remainder of your life. If you choose to make the most of this time, you will gain a great deal out of your high school years. If you choose to hate it and feel that you cannot wait to leave it, you will find it harder. Sure, there may be plenty of reasons to not like high school but one of those reasons should not be because you feel you're too cool for school; being educated is a privilege and a way to improving your life as well as learning how to become a fully engaged citizen. By having the right attitude, you will set yourself up to benefit from the academic side and associated teaching of high school, in spite of any negative social aspects of these years.
  2. Think positive thoughts when it comes to high school and study. Thinking negatively isn't always going to do you any good, or the people around you. Make it count. You will remember high school when you are older, and you don't want to tell your children embarrassing stories you'll regret once you are grown up.
  3. Learn to accept the truth. Sometimes, this isn't easy. If you want to do well, you will have to learn that you are not always right in life. You are not always doing the correct thing, and that you are not the best at everything. When it comes to this time in their life, a lot of teenagers refuse to listen to the truth because their mind is set on impressing others, and they let their attitude get the better of them. This isn't helpful to you though, because you can't improve if you won't listen to constructive advice; advice is good. Even if you think that it's rude, it's actually quite flattering if someone cares enough to help you; try to look at it that way instead of feeling affronted or insulted. Think positive thoughts and you could be on the run home happily!
  4. Believe in your ability to achieve what you set your mind to and put effort into. Do not simply "think" you are capable; you need to work hard at it and hone your talents and skills though practice, repetition and dedication. Success doesn't drop on your doorstep through sheer willing it; put in the effort, recognize what your strengths are and apply yourself and you will start to increase your competence at whatever it is you've set your heart on.

Maintaining a Social Life

  1. Between studying and sleep, try to at least call your friends. Try to arrange a time for you to call when they aren't busy or doing homework, so you aren't disturbing their plans. Catch up for no longer than 30 minutes though, because you could rack up major phone bills your parents won't be happy for!
  2. Catch up when you can. Recess and lunch is the perfect time to talk. Eat and chat together and say all you missed out on saying during lesson time.
  3. Plan a sleepover with your friends. This is the perfect opportunity to laugh, have fun and to just chillax. You can also form a study group just before the sleepover, using the sleepover as a reward for the hard study!
  4. Try to make new friends as well as hanging out with your old ones. It's also best to make a friend who's in the same form as you then you can talk in the morning and at lunchtimes.
  5. If any of your old friends start acting weird, don't worry about it. Just tell them you will always be there for them as they will probably be going through some major changes as well as you. They might have a boyfriend/girlfriend.

The Popularity Chestnut

  1. Do not turn being popular into your holy grail. Popularity might seem nice but it is not necessary. In fact, popularity is often not nice, as it entails responsibilities to maintain certain appearances, hang around certain people and always feel on show. That is certainly not for everyone and it can hamper getting on with what matters to you if you can't manage it well. Moreover, being popular doesn't equate with getting ahead later in life; high school popularity won't get you into college, the corner office or entrepreneurship. Sure, it's great to have lots of friends but always be realistic about the depth over the breadth of those you count as good and dependable friends.
    • Maintaining popularity can often mean doing things that detract from what you really want to be doing, or can even be things that are bad for you and your reputation. If you're doing drugs, having sex, stealing designer clothing, etc., all because you feel pressured by popularity, that's going to ruin your reputation and give you a really rocky and even dangerous start to the rest of your life.
    • If you have to change things about yourself to be popular, then you're not being authentic. Eventually this will hurt you as you fail to develop the parts of yourself that you really care about. For example, if you're naturally quiet and reserved, forcing yourself to be outgoing and constantly socializing will exhaust you and leave you feeling irritable and always distracted. Moreover, other people will notice that you're trying too hard and may lose respect when you fail to keep delivering.
    • Popularity is often viewed as a contest, to see who is "top dog". While such competitiveness can initially feel entertaining, it's a massive drain on your energy and a major diversion from why you are at high school, which is to learn and succeed academically. Shift your competitive energies to the studies!
  2. Don't try to climb up the social ladder because you want the image. Instead, make friends who are good for you and who are true to you.
  3. Avoid labeling people or making fun of them. Hurting people's feelings is not a way to be popular; it's a way to get a sour reputation and to end up alienating people. Nobody is perfect, and everybody has weaknesses. Pointing these out and failing to be supportive is a sign of insecurity and inability to tackle one's own weaknesses, and isn't a very nice way to live.
    • People who are constant targets of negative criticism can develop a lot of self-hate. Don't be responsible for inducing that in others. Step into someone else's shoes for a while and realize how harmful insults, barbs and teasing can be.
    • Be kind to the popular people, even if they don't like you back and you don't much like them.
    • Try not to be the constant critic. It's not cool, and it's often cruel. Criticizing others for the sake of making them "better people" is not good advice; it's simply imposing your preferences onto other people, so that you don't have to make changes. In fact, people who do this frequently criticize will continue to do so throughout life, never resolving the underlying insecurities, because it turns into a crutch. Be helpful and constructive rather than negative and demeaning. Ask yourself: "Is this really advice I am sharing or just me being difficult because I don't like what this person is doing or stands for?".
  4. Be wary of any "rules" about style and makeup. Makeup is a way of presenting ourselves to the world; for millennia both men and women have used it as a way to style themselves, get noticed and to either set themselves apart from others or to show conformity to a particular group. That doesn't make it compulsory. It doesn't matter whether or not you wear makeup; you're not at school to prove that your appearance rates. You're at school to learn.
    • If it matters to you enough, wear a little makeup but don't see others who do not wear it as any less; it's all a choice and it really is a choice each wearer should think about carefully and not just to fit in with what's "expected".
    • As for fashion, wear what you can afford, is comfortable and looks good on you. Brand label obsessiveness and high level spending feeds the coffers of the corporations that manufacture the clothing, and does little for improving your sense of well-being and self-efficacy. Make choices that benefit you.

Tips

  • You don't need to be accepted by the popular group; only make friends with them if they're nice people who treat others with respect.
  • Don't let anyone pressure you into wearing makeup. It's a personal choice, and there is nothing wrong with not wearing it.
  • If you want to have your dream job when you grow up, you are going to have to work hard. Also if you know you have to study for a big test you are going to have to study and have a positive attitude about it.
  • Begin developing good study habits ahead of time so it will be an easier transition.
  • Prioritize. Study for a big test before going on social media or electronics.
  • Never forget your friends because it is important to improve your social skills and have someone that you can have fun with.
  • Don't change yourself just to fit in. You are who you are!
  • Remember you go to high school to learn and make friends. Sometimes your social life revolves around high school but make your studies and future to be your priority because your high school grades are super important and count for college. If you want to be popular, then focus on your grades, friends like people with good grades.

Warnings

  • Avoid ranking people. This is arrogant and unkind. There are no better or worse people; you are all at school to make the most of the talents and skills each of you has or chooses to develop. Respect that the world needs every person to be the best that they can be.
  • Do not befriend just anybody, for you will find all sorts of people in high school and it can have effects for the better or for the worse, so it's advised that you to just do your homework on potential people you are looking to befriend.

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