By: Serious Columnist Maddie Terlap
As 12-week grades loom, students settle successfully into the new year. The winter months are an exciting time for students; they are filled with time off of school, holidays, dances, athletics and activities. But it is important not to forget that final exams are only six weeks away. Freshmen will experience their first finals week: the stress, nervousness and the end of the semester workload. With all of the excitement, students often forget the importance of planning ahead.
Daily, I hear upperclassmen reflectively share the same sentiment: “I wish I had tried harder as a freshman and sophomore.” I cannot help but agree. Few realize the effect the first two years have on a high school career. If I could give freshmen and sophomores one piece of advice, it would be this: try harder.
High school is a tough time in a teen-ager’s life, but these four years are unbelievably important. Many students aspire to further their education in college in order to have a successful career. While college may be four years away for some, it is never too soon to start thinking about it. Working hard and achieving good grades during freshman and sophomore years are crucial to the rest of high school. A low grade point average is hard to improve. According to The College Board, it is also important to be involved in extracurriculars, sports and clubs. Balancing all of this is often difficult for students. We all want to finish our homework, participate in sports or clubs, have a job, hang out with friends and get enough sleep. No perfect formula to do everything exists, but one option is to not procrastinate. California Polytechnic State University says that procrastination “makes you feel weak, useless, and helpless” while not procrastinating leads to “peace of mind, a feeling of strength and purpose, and healthy feeling of being in charge of your life.” This means doing homework the night it is assigned, not waiting until the last minute to finish a huge project or getting some work done on a Friday night.
Students can easily slack off and forget about what high school really means. These four years are a chance to learn and experience. Even if someone’s post-high school plans do not involve college, everyone should take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and activities NHS has to offer. Make the most out of high school years and try harder.
