Advice for starting HS?

[wongulous]

Remember that it's a measure to colleges and an experience to you, in that order. No matter how much fun you might have with your friends, how much you value your hobbies outside of school, how much you can get laid, how drunk you can get, how much money you can make, how cool your car is, or whatever--the CREDITS for classes and the OVERALL GPA are so important to you getting a good placement in college and not having to pay money to waste your time with remedial classes, a crappy college, or community college. If you play the game right, you can get a great college education for free. Otherwise, it'll be a little more expensive, a little bit harder, and a little bit slower, but you can still achieve the same thing having screwed up high school.

That's not to say the experience isn't important, too. Also enjoy the time you have now without a job and without expenses like a car payment, house payment, utilities, cell phone, credit card bills, etc. Go out and play. Observe nature. Lift weights. Explore your hobbies. Join clubs. Network. Take part in organizations. Volunteer work--DO IT. Donate your time and efforts. Read new books. Listen to new music that isn't on radios or TV. Take vacations and trips. Sleep over at friends' places. Dye your hair. Get a piercing or three. Wear crazy clothes. Go against the norm. Don't worry about what everyone else thinks constantly. Don't fear for your life. Don't be afraid of everyone hating you--they won't. Go to dances and have fun. Watch GOOD films. Talk to people freely without time constraints.

 

[barr08]

and you assume that sports are more important than grades; and i can provide a million real life examples of how that might be considered bad advice.

if your point is "dont just study, do other stuff too" well i certainly agree with that, tho at the end of the day your high school social life is irrelevant on day one of college.

DEFFINITELY. I agree. Same thing applies to grades.

Unless you go to an Ivy League, where you get your undergrad BA or BS honestly doesn't matter too much. Most employers really focus on your experience, your degree, and then your gpa. Obviously a degree from a better school is slightly more helpful than a degree from a lesser one, but when it comes down to it, lots of smart people don't do well in college, and employers know this.

Now back to HS. The point of getting good grades in HS is to get into a good college. While this is obviously important, it isn't the ultimate factor in success! So why not try to enjoy your time?

People who do really well in HS are always studying, doing homework, going to bed early. Where is the fun in that? The best times of my HS career were deffinitely social, and the best things I learned in HS were the team building skills from being on sports teams.

I wasn't saying fail all your classes and live at your mom's house for the rest of your life, I'm just saying if you get a few C's, it isn't the end of the world, and you won't end up being a waiter for the rest of your life, like you implied.

And what you said is exactly right. In the long run of things, nothing in HS really matters. But I can tell you this. I don't remember how I did in any class in HS, and I don't remember a lot I learned in HS, but last night I had an amazing time with the people I formed relationships with in HS, and I'll do the same tonight, and tomorrow night, and Sunday night.

 

[shecky]

I wasn't saying fail all your classes and live at your mom's house for the rest of your life, I'm just saying if you get a few C's, it isn't the end of the world, and you won't end up being a waiter for the rest of your life, like you implied.

good point, and true.

And what you said is exactly right. In the long run of things, nothing in HS really matters. But I can tell you this. I don't remember how I did in any class in HS, and I don't remember a lot I learned in HS, but last night I had an amazing time with the people I formed relationships with in HS, and I'll do the same tonight, and tomorrow night, and Sunday night.

see now thats funny as i was very social in HS, to the point of getting more than a few "C's"; but by the end of my first winter break freshmen year in college, i had pretty much ended those HS relationships. i am still very close friends with a few people from college even 12 years later. i guess i bloomed more in college than HS; to each his/her own.

 

[it5five]

I hated HS, but a lot of people seem to like it.

College FTW.

Like others have said, don't screw around your freshman year. I got some D's because I didn't think it was a big deal, but it can be hard to recover from that. Luckily I did well on my SATs, so my GPA didn't factor into my college admissions at all.

 

[mcarnes]

Don't have sex with any of your teachers. They frown on that now-a-days. And leave your guns at home.