Summer of 2013 was when I was getting ready for high school. Personally, I was not nervous at all and was actually quite excited for a brand new start. I know that this is not the case for everyone. Some people fear they won’t make any new friends, will get lost in the school on their way to class or will have to sit alone in the cafeteria. For anyone feeling unprepared or uneasy about starting high school, I’ve come up with a list just for you, based on three years of experience and wisdom - what I wish I could have told myself before I started high school.
If you’re attending a Catholic high school you’re going to be required to wear the uniform. My best friend was so paranoid the first month of grade nine, worried about the uniform and how it made her look. Eventually she got over this ridiculous anxiety when she realized that EVERYONE in the school was wearing the same thing and no one was really focusing on her at all! That’s the great thing about uniforms that you won’t realize until later, but it really levels the playing field, so to speak.
Some other advice I would give to myself is to take time to get to know yourself and don’t focus too much on the others around you. High school is all about meeting people, and making new friends that you really share a lot in common with. If you don’t know what type of person you are on the inside, it might be a struggle to connect with others. Try to have an open mind at all times and making friends will be easy.
Finally, I would tell myself not to be nervous! Walk in with your head high and mind open. Know who you are and also know the people around you. Prepare yourself with small things like remembering your lock combination or the layout of your school and where your classrooms are. Once you have little things like these down pat, you’ll be flying and four years will go by swiftly.
Submitted by Natasha Chung, Student Journalist