Coming into high school freshman year brings a myriad of difficulties for freshmen. Getting used to the more difficult course load can present a challenge on its own. Adding in the time-consuming extracurricular activities, high school may seem daunting. To help ease the transition, upperclassmen in their respective organizations give their advice to incoming freshmen.
Art:
“There’s pressure to focus on or capture certain subjects in your work, but remember that the best way to love your art is to make art of what you love. You’ll show more passion in the result and enjoy the long road more if you try to add a small piece of yourself into each work,” senior Tiffany Vo said. “On a more surface note, work tediously, but also remember to work quickly. Quality is important, but that doesn’t leave quantity out of the picture.”
Band:
“Be willing to socialize with upperclassmen,” senior Kelsi Davis said. “The people are awesome. Don’t let their weirdness freak you out. We’re all one big family- be part of it.”
Baseball:
“Just come out and do the best you can,” junior Clayton Phillips said. “Show the coaches what you can do.”
Basketball, Boys:
“Don’t take a play off, hustle up and down the court,” junior Ben Martin said. “Work hard every practice and you’ll earn a good spot on the team and the coaches respect.”
Basketball, Girls:
“Always hustle and always have a good attitude and remember we are a family,” sophomore Ally Walker said.
Cheerleading:
“I would tell them to be confident in what they are doing and don’t stress about being perfect, just have fun with it,” Nicky Wright said. “Also know that it only gets better from here.”
Choir:
“Don’t be afraid to be yourself around everyone because it will make being a part of choir even better,” senior Brittyn Sutton “Have fun always, and just keep singing.”
“Take choir seriously if you’re going to take it,” junior Jazmine Necessary said. “You may think it’s a blow off class, but it’s really not. If you take it seriously though it can be a lot of fun.”
Color Guard:
“Don’t be afraid to try to put yourself out there,” senior Carissa Chavarria said. “You come into this activity the way we all did- scared, nervous, not confident. You’re not supposed to be able to toss a perfect six on rifle or be able to do a double team wonder flag. You have to put yourself out there, be uncomfortable and enjoy yourself while doing it. Color Guard is fun and unique and exciting.”
“Know that you’re not going to be amazing at first,” senior Emma Randall said. “You’re going to get hit with equipment, and you’re going to fall. All you have to do is keep pushing and never give up. It’s always worth it in the end.”
Cross country:
“If you are dedicated to the sport and ready to give it your all, then you will see the results you want at the end of the season,” Sam Troutt said.
Dance:
“Don’t worry too much about all the dances and techniques,” junior Adriana Estrada said. “Everyone is able to do things and work hard.”
Debate:
“Debate will help them tremendously in other classes, as it promotes strong speaking skills, family friends and you learn while competing,” sophomore Katelyn Pasierb said. “It is loads of fun and helps achieve personal aspirations. I would highly highly recommend taking debate. Everyone here is so kind, and you will always have a blast if you work hard and give it your all.”
Drill team:
“My biggest advice is to take everything one step at a time and have fun,” senior Abby Walker said, “Take every moment like it’s your last because next time you blink it will be walking into your senior year.”
Football:
“Always hustle, respect and listen to coaches,” junior Landry Pedroza said. “Never take a day off.”
Golf:
“For incoming freshman, I’d say to make sure you’re always making the best out of every opportunity you have in front of coach and in front of the girls,” junior Bailey Bednar said. “We are big on ‘team’ and ‘we over me.’ Always work hard and remember golf is hard. Not every round will be the best, but you never know when your best is coming. It’s a game of imperfection and who missed the best.”
Journalism:
“Don’t be afraid to step out of your box,” senior Ashley Bow said. “Journalism has helped me learn how to talk to adults and people I don’t know, and it has given me incentive to improve on my writing. If you even think that you may like a publication, you should try it out for a year, because chances are you’ll love it.”
“Don’t get behind,” junior Kathryn Pedroza said. “It’s hard to catch up. Also branch out, even though sometimes it doesn’t seem like it, the people are nice and will help you. Get involved, get to know people, it’s worth it.”
JROTC:
“Definitely join a team,” junior Destiny Cedeno said. “Whether it’s drill team, unarmed, armed, PT, team, even color guard. You’ll become family very quickly. In the classes, you just learn material. Yes it is fun, but you won’t connect with people like you will if you were in a team. We have practices every day after school. Just show up.”
Key Club:
“Try to get friends together,” senior Joseph Castronovo said. “With that, community service becomes more entertaining, and [it’s] for a good cause.”
“I would just say join key club and plan to participate,” junior Kaitlin Nguyen said. ”It’s more than just something to put on your high school resumé. You get to volunteer and make new friends. In addition to that, even though it’s 25 hours per semester, it helps you manage your time and be more well rounded.”
NHS:
“NHS helps bridge the gap between different student organizations within our school. Most members actively participate in extracurricular activities like band or drill team. NHS gives every member an opportunity to interact with students that they might not otherwise interact with,” senior Erin Reigh said. “The most important thing to focus on is mastery of course materials- not grades. As long as you keep up with your work, your grades will be where they need to be.”
Show choir:
“Freshman who love to sing and dance should join show choir because it gives a fun spin on singing,” junior Mckenna Collier said. “It’s ok if you don’t learn it all in one day; we have the whole year to learn dancing. Be prepared to work hard and remember that it all pays off in the end.”
“One thing that you learn from being in show choir is that dancing isn’t just following the moves,” senior Ryan Rutherford said. “You have to add your own style and attitude in too. If you do this, you’ll have a blast in show choir.”
Soccer, Boys:
“You have to have a great relationship with everyone on your team,” junior Brian Ukeje said. “Team chemistry is everything, so build a good relationship with people.”
Soccer, Girls:
“Come into high school knowing that you are a freshman, but that doesn’t mean you’re a nobody or that you’re of less importance,” junior Maddie Wells said. “Don’t come in all cocky and act like you run the place. Just be yourself and not who you think you should be.”
Softball:
“Just be confident in what you do. As a freshman, you have nothing to lose, so give it your all and you’ll be fine,” junior Katie Shoemaker said. “It can be scary when you’re put with girls that are older than you, but you shouldn’t have to worry. Everyone is super welcoming, and it’s a lot of fun being with the different ages. The experience is amazing.”
“Come in and work hard,” junior Jaycee Cook said. “You want to compete for your spot every single day. You are playing for your school and hometown. Keep a positive attitude. And always remember you’re not just an athlete, you’re a student also. Even though you have so much fun in your sport, don’t forget to work hard in the classroom.”
Swimming:
“Middle school swim comparing toward high school is definitely different,” junior Jordan Kutch said. “You’ll have more swim meets and more events with longer races. It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow. It matters on how much grind you want to put in your practice.
Tennis:
”Freshman tennis players, please understand that there is a lot to learn not only from your peers but your coaches, teachers and upperclassmen. Please take constructive criticism with heart. These people will help you grow and learn, and later in life you will appreciate them a ton more,” junior Makenna Jones said. “Secondly, your team is here for you. High school will be hard. I promise you that you will be frustrated, tired, and lose motivation. Keep your head up and focus on your long term goals, but also allow yourself to do things that make you happy.”
Theater:
“Make sure you come to the new faces party at the beginning of the year. It’s where you meet your theatre officers and directors, and it’s a great place to make a first impression,” senior Jisella Ayala said. “Second, audition. Put yourself out there; it’s a lot of fun. Third, don’t get discouraged if you don’t make it. There are a lot more opportunities to audition for other shows, and we always need people backstage and crew.”
Track:
“Our coach is set on getting us where we want to be in the season or in life, so always be prepared to work hard,” junior Ja’lyric Giles said.
“Try new things, especially field events,” senior Rachel Van Lear said. “Work hard, think positively and, most importantly, have fun.”
Volleyball:
“Stay dedicated,” senior Katelyn Allen said. “It’s going to be overwhelming, but with the support of our family, they’ll be able to get through it, and it’s going to be fun.”
“Work hard,” junior Angela Bell said. “Don’t ever stop hustling and proving yourself.”
