Olivia Gagne: the do’s and don’ts of freshman year

My name is Olivia and I will be a sophomore in the fall of 2016. High school is not something to be taken lightly, but it isn’t as terrifying as your teachers or parents may make it sound. One of the huge differences is the longer classes: you will get used to them! Here are some of the Do’s and Don’ts I learned from my first year of high school.

Do be nice to substitute teachers!

I know it’s fun to mess with the substitute teacher, but refrain from doing so, because you don’t know how long they are going to be subbing for. If your teacher happens to go on leave for any reason, your class will have a long-term sub. In my freshman year, I had three long-term subs out of eight total classes. They still teach you material, assign work, and enter grades; don’t be mean to them!  When there is a substitute teacher, it isn’t a free day to do whatever you want.

Don’t act your shoe size!

When you go to high school, you go to school with people up to the age of 18. Act mature at school. If you’re throwing food or screaming obnoxiously in the hallways, people will get sick of it really fast. In middle school you can get away with acting like a goof; people are as young as 10 there so childish behaviors are funny to them. Acting like a clown won’t make the seniors like you. Even other freshmen may tell you to knock it off! I realized how immature I was in middle school during my very first day of high school.

Do know the dress code!

Nobody likes to wear giant cargo shorts with a new dress shirt, or your friend’s dirty gym shirt with the cute pencil skirt you just got. Well, if you aren’t dressed the way they want you to be, you will be asked to change. It’s terrible, I know. It will make your life easier if you at least carry a cardigan in your backpack in case your shoulders are too bare. Having an extra pair of jeans on deck in your gym locker also wouldn’t be a bad idea for you long-legged girls.

Don’t argue with teachers!

If a teacher or AP informs you of rules you aren’t fond of, “yells” or “scolds” you, or just makes you mad, do not argue back. You will be at this school for four years. It is in your best interest not to be a jerk, and it isn’t hard to be nice. If an adult happens to be rude to you, that is a reflection of them, not you. My best advice is to be nice to everyone, including peers (even if you don’t like them) because you never know who you will end up becoming good friends with and who will be in your future.