Scheduling, finals, tests, last minute work, and stress! You might have guessed that all of these are related to one thing, the end of the school year. You all remember your transitions into middle school, but for current eighth graders it’s time to pack up your locker and get set for high school! I’m sure we are all wondering what high school has in store for us, I know I am! We are all nervous, but I’m here to tell you how I am trying to plan and survive my high school years!

The thing I’ve been focusing on recently is scheduling. In our school, the counselors have been coming to our classrooms to help us make our four-year plan. I have a basic outline of all the classes I will have to take in order to go to college and pursue my career. For all of you students out there whose school has not helped you to make one, it’s super easy to do! Go and talk to your counselors about the requirements you will need to graduate and about career options you are interested in. Then, think of all of the class options you have to take that will suit you the best! Your four-year plan is not set in stone so don’t worry if you need to make a change! It is just an easy to prepare yourself when scheduling time comes around each year!

Have you ever heard anybody say you won’t be friends with a lot of people you were close with in middle school? This does not have to happen! Keep in touch over summer and try to stay together! If this can’t work, look for people with similar interests as you and socialize! You can’t have your friends by you all the time, so you need to branch out and find more people to associate with! You’d be surprised how fast a friendship can bloom from a single greeting and a few common interests! Don’t be afraid to go start a conversation, and if it doesn’t go well that’s okay!

Get involved! Clubs, sports, and community service really look good on a college application and are super fun too! Think of all of the things you love to do, and the chances are that your school has a super awesome club that will fit to some of these interests! Do you love to perform? Join the choir or drama department! Do you love to be active and compete? There are tons of sports for you to join! Now think about your community. The local library might love some help reading to the kids that come for programs, and the local food pantry might love some help raising money or getting new supplies. The possibilities are endless!

Keep learning! Just because it’s summer and you have no projects to do, doesn’t mean you can’t pick up a book on a rainy day, or research a cool topic you’re interested in. You can choose anything you want. You don’t have to learn about boring old topics like how the Mayans lived or memorize the amendments. Learn a bit of a new language, or research a cool animal. There are no limits! If you continue reading and learning over your break, it won’t be as bad when you go back into your normal school routine this fall.

The last thing I will be working on is just enjoying high school. Everybody I’ve talked to that has previously graduated high school has told me they miss it a lot because of all the amazing memories they had there. I want to be able to look back on my high school career and remember all of the fun I had. High school goes by quick so I really want to have fun and make it count. I’m very excited to go into high school and I know I’m going to love it!