Welcome back, NVOT! As many of us have probably feared, September is already upon us and the school year is back in full swing. Whether you are a junior getting ready for the SAT, a senior writing their college apps, or a freshman who is trying to figure out where the third floor pool is, we here at The Lance have got you covered with pieces of advice for each grade.
To the Freshman: Breatheeeeee
First off, Welcome to OT! Whether you’re from one of the four towns or from out of the valley, the first few weeks of high school are always so stressful. Our best piece of advice is to just take it all in and breathe. Half the battle for the first week or so is just figuring out how to get to your classes and learning how the schedule works. Don’t be afraid to ask someone in the hall for where a certain hallway or class is, almost anyone in the school is glad to help (except Annie, she’s scary). Trying to keep track of all the new stuff going on around you is almost impossible, so just go to class, be outgoing, and enjoy your first year!
To the Sophomores: Stay focused & explore
Sophomore year is that weird year where you aren’t really old enough to have to worry about applying to colleges and scoring well on your SAT, but not young enough to still be overwhelmed by the school environment. For Sophomores, I recommend just staying focused on your school work and working hard to get good grades. This year is when you are allowed to take up to two AP courses: AP Seminar & AP US History. I definitely recommend challenging yourself and using this year to explore what you are really interested in so you can use the two years after to really dive deep into what you wanna do in college or beyond. Personally, I struggled with Honors Chemistry, so I definitely recommend studying hard. Good luck, sophomores!
To the Juniors: Yikes
Oh to be a Junior. The common consensus around Junior year is that it is the most difficult year in your high school career. My opinion? Ehhhhhhhhhhh. I found this year to definitely be stressful, but I actually found Junior year to be my most successful year grade wise. Of course, everyone is different, and I’m sure others found Junior year to be far more stressful. As Juniors, the most important thing hanging around everyone’s mind is the dreaded SAT and ACT. It’s kind of late to give this type of advice, but I advise Juniors to study for the tests either during the summer going into Junior year, or the summer after. Trying to study for either test during the school year is challenging and I personally had to study for the SAT over this past summer. Juniors, you will survive, I believe in you (sort of).
To the Seniors: Let’s have some fun!
To the Seniors, I have no advice for y’all because, well, I’m your classmate. I have no idea how the year will go and I wish everyone luck on the college application process. Trying to get all of these essays done is a pain in the you know what and I just hope everyone sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Not all of us are destined to get into our dream schools, but that’s completely okay! College is what you make of it and it really doesn’t matter what school you end up at as long as you make it your home (or at least that’s what I keep telling myself). Good luck everyone, I wish you all the best in the college application process, and to all the schools on my Common App: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME INNNNN.
