Opinion: You MUST know these tips as a freshman

I am currently a freshman myself and wish that someone would've given me tips for this school year. So I hope this will help current and future freshman to get through their first high school year.

1. Prepare

Yes, I know this isn't fun but you need to prepare for your classes and at least know some of the basics of the course. An easy way to do this is to ask someone who previously took the class and start learning some of the concepts. This will help you immensely when you're actually taking the course and give you a leg up.

2. Procrastination

Don't procrastinate because it will make your life really miserable. If you try to take a break and wait until the last minute you will panic and become swamped by the continuously assigned homework. The teachers aren't going to stop assigning work if you need to finish something! (I did not follow this and am now panicking as completing this)

3. Google Apps

If you haven't already download google docs, slides, and drive on your phone. I know that you have a Chromebook but there are some times when you need to finish an assignment on the go. This makes typing essays on the bus super easy and is extremely helpful.

4. Plan

It is a good idea to plan out your assignments on a calendar and prioritize them by what has a larger effect on your grade and when its due. Don't complete an assignment a week before it's due and yet forget to do the one that's due in a day.

5. Bring a backup pair of headphones

Music can be great for calming yourself down or hyping yourself up for a test next period or a game after school. But if you forget your main pair of headphones at home then the day will seem so much longer and some teachers have you complete assignments that you need headphones for. So always remember to leave an extra pair in your backpack or multiple, but don't go over 3 because you will never need more than that as I carry 6 and have never used more than three of them.

6. You can't break the system

There is no way to bypass the school web blocker, SO DON'T TRY. You will be wasting your time trying, the Chromebooks security is made by Google and virtually impossible to bypass. Also if you do manage to find a way the school will be alerted and yeah, you'll be back to square one... so just don't.

7. Lunches

As you have most likely noticed the lunches are divided between A, B, C, and the horrible D. If you get A or B you are going to want to bring snacks for the other end of the school day because for you lunch will be too early or too late. While B and C lunches have that nice sweet spot for timing and still have most of the good fruit compared to lunch D.

8. Backpack

You are going to bring your backpack EVERYWHERE! So make sure you buy a quality backpack that will last you the school year and hopefully the rest of high school. Also, don't waste space by putting random things that you might never use in your bag. You will only need the essentials space for your Chromebook, a textbook or two, water, gum, quality mechanical pencils and pens, headphones, lunch(if you pack), snacks(if you have A or D lunch), a charging cable, mouse(trust me), and of course a binder.

9. Friends

You will not have a certain set of friends that you are used to, in high school, you will probably only have one or two friends that will stick around. Also, you will probably have a friend for every period or just become friends with whoever you are around. So don't get used to people always being around.

The opinions of the stated author do not constitute an official position of the Lampeter-Strasburg School District or of the LS News editorial board.

--By Rylan Sadaphal, LS News reporter