Advice to Incoming Freshmen from Current Lamar Freshmen

Being a freshman in high school can definitely be a challenge, as I and many of my peers have learned. Getting lost in the hallways, losing pencils and loads of homework are all some of the many components of being a freshman, and it isn’t always easy. Additionally, new relationships are definitely a big factor in your first year of high school and will cause a big change in your life.

Understanding how to navigate through all of these experiences, both negative and positive, can be both a challenge and very stressful. However, I believe that some advice that current freshmen, now at the end of our first year, have to provide may help incoming freshman deal with these issues and understand what is expected of them.

Nada Rafat: “First of all, I think that it’s really important to become organized and know how to arrange your schedule with volunteering, schoolwork and extracurricular activities. If you don’t do this freshman year, you’re honestly going to be stuck for the rest of high school not knowing how to manage your time wisely. Also, join sports to make friends; it will help to expand your social circle and become connected to your community. It’s also really important to always carry an agenda/calendar with you. You’re going to get a lot of homework, and it is absolutely vital that you record it in some way so you don’t forget. 

And please… be responsible. Don’t do something you will regret in the future, such as drugs, alcohol or anything else of questionable nature. I honestly don’t believe that freshman year is the year to establish (romantic) relationships, but if that’s what you choose to do, then do so wisely. But always remember that friends and family come first, and boys always come second (or maybe third….) If you can, wait until you’re older to have a boyfriend/girlfriend, maybe towards sophomore or junior year. And most of all…be yourself--don’t try to do what everyone else does.”

Tiara Rose: “Make new friends, do your work on time and don’t change. Watch who you call your friends, because people change so just be ready for that.”

Jada Hughes: “Make sure you stay in the right crowd, and don’t get caught up with the mess and bad things that people do. Stay focused on your books, because if you get off track then it will really affect you in the future.”

Overall, I can say that my freshman experience was both a challenge and an exhilaration. I definitely learned a lot from both my teachers and my peers, and was able to push myself to degrees never reached before. However, I did also suffer from the pitfalls of heartbreak and had a reality check as to the situations which often occur in high school.

Despite the negatives, I can definitely say that my first year in high school was one of the best years yet and I hope that many of you will feel the same.