5 ways to make the most of high school
I am currently one fourth of the way done with my high school career. As the thought of leaving Licking Valley forever creeps slowly into my mind, I often find myself questioning whether or not I have made the most of my time as a Panther.
High school is often referred to as “the best four years of your life, and while I cannot yet attest to the truth in that statement, I can provide you with some tips on making high school as enjoyable as possible!
1. Create positive relationships with your teachers
LVHS teachers are awesome! They are both great teachers and friends. If you are struggling in a subject, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher for help. Believe it or not, they want you to succeed! If you are not comfortable asking the teacher of the exact class, try asking a teacher from a similar subject if they have any advice or tips on the material. Teachers are also great people to go to with issues, school related or not. Not only do teachers want you to excel in academics, they want you to flourish as an overall person as well.
2.Make a variety of friends
You’ve heard the cliché statement “the friends you start school with, you won’t graduate with; this is not a bad thing! I encourage all underclassmen to begin conversing with classmates from “different” friend groups and ages. Don’t do yourself a disservice by limiting your friend group to the friends you had in middle school or by not becoming engaged with upper and lower classmen. This doesn’t mean abandon your day one’s completely; however, it is nice to meet new people and become familiar with the faces you pass everyday in the hallways. The more you put yourself out to people, the friendlier school becomes--you don’t feel so alone.
3. Join clubs and sports
Sports are a staple of Licking Valley, from our state placing wrestlers to our nationally accredited marching band and every sport in between!Licking Valley also has tons of clubs us students can take advantage of such as, GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), Chess Club, NHS (National Honor Society), SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Renaissance, Yearbook, Quiz Team, Teenage Republican, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Aqua Velva to name a few. These teams and organizations are great ways to develop new friendships! My friend waited until her senior year to join the spring musical, and after joining she loved it and regretted not joining her freshman year. It is best to try a variety of things early on in you high school career to see what you want to focus on (or drop) into your later years.
4. Create traditions
Traditions are a way to create everlasting memories of high school. For example, the homecoming bonfire and car smash is a fun tradition to get people excited for the homecoming football game. The event has been fun every year; however, my senior year bonfire was the most bittersweet. A celebration of my last homecoming (though it’d already happened) and the last football season I experienced as a panther. Another tradition my friends and I took part in is eating every Friday after school at Steak n’ Shake before the Friday night football game.
5. Take control of your own learning - STUDY
If you go your entire high-school career without experiencing a class that you struggle in, you’re lucky! School has always come naturally to me, though, there is one class I took where I really had to take control of my own learning.
As a student you have to be responsible for own acquisition of knowledge and skill. Sometimes there are teachers who don’t teach in a way you understand or a class where you just can’t seem to pay attention in. You have to take matters into your own hands. Taking the time to write quality notes, read the textbook, and to study is how you are going to get the grade you desire. While you may be struggling in a class where you “hate the teacher” or are convinced the teacher hates you, the lack of understanding of the material is of no one’s fault but your own.
This connects up to Tip #1: Ask your teacher (or a teacher from a related field) for help. If you still are not understanding, try asking a friend if they can better explain it to you. And if worse come to worst, open the book and teach yourself. This will help prepare you for college also where there may be professors who go too fast or that you can’t understand or who simply don’t cover the material in class and expect it to be done independently. Get into the habit of asking questions shamelessly, and going over the subject matter yourself.
I have loved my time as a Panther, following these tips and engaging myself in what our school has to offer has made my experience here one I will never forget!
