By Ruth Kramer ’18, News Editor
What’s with the schedule? Why are there assemblies all the time? Why am I responsible for putting things away during sports practice? These may be a few of the many questions incoming freshmen will ask when they first enter into the Country Day Upper School. But fear not new freshmen, for eventually you will get into the swing of things—but until then, here is a 10 step guide to not only survive, but thrive.
- The Horror Story of the Twelve Day Schedule—The rotating schedule is one of the hardest things to grasp your first month or so of freshman year. But don’t worry, once you go through a twelve day rotation and almost miss your 3rd lab day of the semester, you’ll always remember to check the school site for the schedule that day. And if for some random reason you don’t know the schedule, don’t be afraid to ask anyone, even your teachers or upperclassmen. Someone you know is bound to be aware of what the next bell is.
- Do your homework—This could be one of the most important things you do in your whole high school career. If you don’t do your homework, your teachers will know about it. So when you think you can ditch one ancient text assignment in Dr. McCall’s Ancient World History class, know that it may not be today or tomorrow, but it will come back to bite you. You could be thinking “What fool wouldn’t do their homework?” but beware, it’s not enough to just do your homework. Do it right. Turn off your phone, close your email, log out of Twitter—the more concentration you have, the better you’ll do and trust me, homework adds up fast.
- Don’t be scared to ask for help—Yes, I know. Going up to your English teacher after your first C on an English essay can be intimidating, but just like Middle School, every one of your teachers is there to help you. The sooner you ask for some advice on your next test or for simple how-to’s for your history paper, the easier your life will be. Don’t feel limited to asking only your teachers for help. There are plenty of willing and able sophomores, juniors, and seniors to help you in all aspects of your day. Your senior captain is there to not only play the game, but aid in teaching new players. Everyone will need something from everyone else, so don’t be afraid to make yourself known and be one of the first to ask for some help.
- Attend Some Events—Okay, I understand that sometimes freshmen are shy and unwilling to try new things, one of these things being social events. But, what should stop you from going to the first home football game or other social events? There are a ton of basketball games with fun themes and a huge section of Country Day kids and yes, there are even some dances during the year. Don’t blow off fun, new experiences because you’re shy or because you’re a freshman–the more events you go to, the more you learn what you like. Who knows? You could end up cheering the loudest in the Homecoming football game’s OT.
- Be Mature—Being a freshman brings on many new things—new classes, new friends, new emotions. Being a freshman in high school means you’re growing up and maturing inside and out. Embrace that maturity and act in a way that will do your school and your newfound young adulthood justice. Everyone in high school has their place, has their job. Sophomores are preparing for the PSATs, juniors are working their butts off to maintain straight A’s, and seniors are wanting to enjoy every last minute of Country Day. Now it’s your turn to take your place in the high school line-up and not only display the maturity you have developed already, but feed and nourish the growing adult inside of you until you’re captain of the team.
- Be Organized—Possibly a cheesy and obvious tip, but possibly one of the most important. I can’t tell you how embarrassing and stressful it is to lose half of your English handouts two months into the school year. It’s not enough to just have a folder for something, you have to use it and keep that in check. There is too much stuff going on and too many important papers handed out to not be organized. If you don’t have yourself together, then you will lose something. Hopefully, you’ll already be organized, but if not, don’t wait until you lose your crucial History essay that’s worth a large part of your grade, to change your ways.
- Upper School vs. Freshmen (Quick Do’s and Don’ts)—Because there are so many little things that don’t fit into a category, here is a random accumulation of do’s and don’ts that a freshman should take very seriously.
- DON’T take an upperclassman’s lunch table
- DON’T complain about how hard your work is to an upperclassman
- DON’T blow off your studies for socializing
- DON’T clog the hallways
- DON’T procrastinate
- DO plan ahead
- DO learn the personalities of your teachers
- DO be yourself
- DO participate in Spirit Week and other school events
- DO have fun and enjoy yourself
- Respect the Codes—Congratulations! Now that you’re in the Upper School you can wear blue jeans every day and you have 1-2 free bells every single day. You’ve got a new sense of freedom, which is fantastic because it means you’re growing up. But as it is said in Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. Now that you can wear the jeans, don’t take it to the extreme. It’s totally cool to wear jeans, but when you come into school with ripped up, obviously faded jeans, you’re pushing the envelope. As Mrs. Luebbers says, don’t just respect the dress code, respect the spirit of the dress code. Come to school looking nice, but feeling comfortable and happy with how you look. But onto another code: the honor code. This is one book of rules you do not want to break. Now that you’re in high school, you have a permanent record and all colleges can see that permanent record. So, simply, don’t cheat to get to the top and don’t steal someone’s paper for a better grade. Be honest and true about yourself and about those you’re around. Don’t get a bad reputation because you were trying to protect a friend. Think of your future and all you want to do with your life and think about whether copying homework and looking at your neighbor’s test is really worth it.
- Be a Friend to Everyone—Simple as it sounds, it’s true. More than likely you will eventually have a class or club or sport with someone you don’t particularly care for, but if you put on a smile and are nice to everyone, you will go far. Eventually everyone needs everyone, so don’t just be friendly to your friends. Who knows, maybe a junior in your art class with need your help on an assignment.
- Work Hard, Play Hard—Last, but not least, work until you drop, but enjoy every second of it. Of course, high school is very important because it sets the road for your college, your career, your life! But, high school is also a place to find friends forever and to learn who you are. Yes, you’ve got to work hard for every grade you get, but you’ve got to have fun along the way. You only have so much time in high school, so make sure you take advantage of every second.
I hope this guide has helped you figure out how to survive your freshman year, and that someday you can impart even more knowledge on the future generations of freshmen. Though I have said this was a ten step guide, I leave you with last piece of advice: one day you will no longer be a freshman and before you know it you’ll be a senior. Remember where you started, remember where you began, remember you too were once a freshman
