(Interviewee: Ray)
(Interviewer: Bee)
B: What should not be expected in high school? What should freshmen know about high school that was created by the media?
R: Cliques. Popular girls. They still exist but not like in the shows.
B: They don’t exist?
R: Not really.
R: Teachers aren’t as strict, some of them are.
B: Not all though?
R: Yeah.
The sad truth is that your high school life will be more studying and trying to make it to class on time and less Nancy Drew and there is a dress code, so you can’t go running around dressed like characters from Euphoria. But at the same time, as Ray said, You shouldn’t worry too much about your teachers. Your teacher might call on you when you aren’t paying attention and that might cause you to get embarrassed, but that’s all you should fear from them. Sometimes you do get a mean teacher and if you decide that you don’t want to spend the year in their class then don’t be afraid to speak up. You can ask for a class transfer or if you want to stay in the class then you can just tell one of your peers, That can be a school counselor or the principal, whoever you think can help you.
B: If you could give any advice to your freshman self? (or any freshman.)
R: Actually try.
B: You mean actually show up?
R: Yeah and actually doing the schoolwork.
Do you remember watching those school morning routines and they would always wake up hours before the time they needed to get to school? I’m not gonna tell you that you couldn’t accomplish this, You could if you tried, But I know most will decide it’s just not for them. Which is fine. All I am gonna tell you is that you should take some time out of your day — doesn’t have to be a lot — to do your homework and to make your morning easier, Like, picking your clothes out or making your lunch. Then when you get into class, trying doesn’t mean writing down everything that the teacher says, you only need to write down what you think you’ll need later. Don’t be afraid to ask for the teacher to repeat themselves if you miss something or if you have time after class — and don’t want everyone’s eyes on you — you could go up to your teacher and ask them whatever you missed or just ask them questions that crossed your mind.
B: What’s the easiest way to juggle everything?
R: To go at your own pace, Don’t listen to what anyone else says. Just do it at your own pace.
B: And don’t be afraid to ask for more time?
R: Yeah, that too.
At the end of the day, It will be a hard time for some and others will not even blink at all the school work. For those who do feel drowned by the school work, I have a trick that I use when it feels like I have too much to do. You take your school work and separate them into stacks, You could stack the ones that take less time and then the other stack are the ones that take longer or separate each subject. Whatever works for you. After you separate them, you pick a stack you want to start with and you focus on that one stack till you finish it or if that still doesn’t help you. You can change it up a little and do one page from each stack till you finish all the work. And if that still isn’t something you wish to do, you can put a timer on and focus on one stack then when the timer goes off, you go to the other stack and so on and so on. It doesn’t matter what tricks you use as long as you get the work done.
B: The best way to make friends with other students?
R: Just by being polite and a decent person.
I don’t have much to add for this one. Ray is right, Just be nice and people will want to be around you. Don’t be afraid to talk to people, that doesn’t mean you have to go up to strangers and just start talking. But if there is a chance to talk to someone, You should take it. It doesn’t have to be anything big, just a simple ‘hi’ or a compliment. Just don’t be afraid to reach out and be polite and everything will go fine.
High school isn’t that scary, i promise. You’ll do fine and don’t forgot to make time to have fun.