After I graduated from Middle School, I was ecstatic to go to High School. Everyone was telling me that it was going to be the best four years of my life, and I believed them. I spent my whole summer anticipating and waiting for my first year in high school. And I was disappointed.

High School isn’t some magical fun land. It’s not a place where all your dream fantasies come true. It’s not where you automatically find yourself and decide your future. It is, however, the start of everything.

So in order to help the freshman this year, here are some tips to survive and excel.

1.) DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Whenever you do, it makes you think that you can take your time and do whatever, whenever. Once you seep into that, it is very difficult to get out. And it is not a useful skill to have later on.

2.) Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is your first year, you’re not expected to be a genius. It may seem embarrassing at first, but after a while, you’ll be the one reaping the benefits.

3.) Not every teenager in the world smokes, drinks, or does drugs. It is first of all illegal, and it does not make you any cooler or better than anyone else.

4.) It is really important to be a part of something in school. Not only does it give you the opportunity to make new friends, it also looks great in college admission letters.

5.) For the girls, not all boys are interested in romance. Most just want to reap the benefits of having a girlfriend. This isn’t Boy Meets World; the chances of you finding your Cory in high school are highly unlikely. It is okay be to be single; you have the rest of your life for romance, use this time now to focus on school.

6.) Last but not least, it’s high school. It’s only four years of your life. That’s nowhere near the best years of your life. You have another 40-50 years left. Do you really want to be at your best right now? Just take a deep breathe and relax. Don’t worry about having a perfect experience right now. Because in the end, if you put the effort, it’ll all work out.