50 High School Tips from a 2021 Graduate

Hello! So this is going to be a little different than my usual post, but I had this idea and I wanted to share it anyway. I graduated from high school in June and what a journey it was. So I thought I would share some of my tips that helped me survive high school. Whether you are a freshman just starting out or well into your high school career, I hope this helps!

Get involved! It is so cliche but getting involved in things you are interested in will make your school a better place to be
Sleep at least 5-6 hours a night. If you are pulling all nighters to study you won’t do well on the test anyway. I never pulled an all nighter in my career and I graduated in the top 10% of my class.
Your health comes first. More than grades, your mental and physical well being matters. Take a day or two if you need it.
Find the study method that works for you and never let it go.
Write down assignments!!!
Organization is key
Sometimes you have to sacrifice a smaller assignment to ace a bigger project. Know how assignments are weighted and what you can afford to slack on.
Highlight your notes after class. It will make it easier to find info later and is a great way to quickly reinforce the material
Do practice problems!
Play a sport! My experience on my school team was the best of my high school career. Play a sport, you will not regret it.
Make friends with people in other grades. Be a mentor to younger students and learn from older ones.
Chill out. I don’t know you, but if you are anything like I was as a freshman, you need some serous chill.
Do homework at lunch
Do homework whenever you can to avoid doing it actually at home
Keep snacks in your bag. At all times. Thank me later.
Dress cute when you want. Wear your pajamas when you want.
Do things you are scared of
You are going to fail tests. Accept it and move on
Don’t brag about your grades. The person you’re bragging to might have just failed.
Don’t be that kid who’s upset they got an A instead of an A+. Just don’t.
If you menstruate, always keep emergency supplies on hand. Always (and pain meds because the school is not allowed to give them to you)
Sometimes food is your only motivation. That’s okay.
Studying sucks less than failing.
Find an easy hobby, something that isn’t watching tv or scrolling through tiktok and stick with it.
If you play an instrument, don’t quit! I used to play piano and I wish I never quit now I can barely play a scale.
Go to the club fair. Write your name down for everything that sounds cool. Go to a few meetings of each and choose 1-3 that you really love.
Do community service. It’s great for college (and rewarding and blah blah blah)
If you have time, get a job
Study groups!! Study with your friends that are in the same classes. It’s fun and great to ask and answer questions
Group work is THE WORST. Do your part. Don’t be that person everyone hates because they do nothing
Junior year sucks, but senior year is worse. Take easy classes senior year!
Know your limits. Know how much you can handle. Drop a few things if you need to.
Ask questions. Go to office hours, even if you don’t have specific questions. Teachers will be more lenient if they know you’re trying
Ask for help if you need it. No shame
Stop worrying about being cool and start worrying about having fun. High school is a lot of fun when you learn to care less
Spend time with your family
Take classes that seem fun as well as ones you need
Get your credit requirements done as early as possible
Talk to older students about which classes and teachers are the best. Every school is different and the students above you will have the inside scoop
Don’t take AP Calc BC unless you want to major in math in college. Just don’t.
I know I should be saying to read the books assigned to you, but honestly just spark notes it.
Learn how to skim read
Be less judgy
Remember that everyone is too worried about themselves and probably won’t notice whatever is going on with you
Your grades won’t always be what you want them to be. That’s okay
Study hard, but don’t let it take over your life
Go to a football game (or whatever sport is big in your school) at least once
Go to the play, the musical, the show, whatever. They worked very hard on it (I would know)
Learn from your mistakes. Ask your teachers if you can look at your tests if they don’t give them to you. Study from your old tests. Redo the problems (this was always how I studied for math)
Do your summer assignments as early as possible. Some people did them before school even ended. I always waited until August. Don’t be me.

So there you go! In no particular order, those are 50 tips for high school from me, a 2021 graduate! If you have any other questions feel free to dm me on IG or Twitter, or leave a comment on this post. I would be happy to help you out. High school can be a trying time, but remember it ends. These four years will go so fast so try to enjoy them while you can.