Starting Off

Most, if not all, students are already in routine. Wake up, get ready, get to school, get to class, get to lunch, get to class, and back again. Where Monday starts, and Friday ends, you can’t place because of how fast everything goes. The day drags on, but at the end of the week, you don’t know where all that time went. For others, it’s a struggle; days drag on, and when you end the week, you say “Finally” because it feels like the week was never-ending. Either way, there’s always something missing, and where else to get the answer to your questions than from students who have been there and done that? Here’s what Santiago’s Sophomore, Junior, and Senior students have to say to questions from Freshmen and a few words of wisdom they wished they knew. 

Q&A

“What is the most important thing to remember as you go through Freshman year?”

Natalie Troccoli (9)

“Stay on top of your things and try to time manage yourself, but also don’t spend too much time on your studies because you need to have an equal balance and give yourself breaks,” Meghna Menon (11).  

“What are future classes like, because I know some are not as they seem?”

Angie (9).

“They’ll be less focused on grades (like percentages and the current grading scale) and more on whether you meet the standard, and that’ll make it harder to get a good grade and accurately determine whether you are prepared or not because you can’t see a percentage of how close you are to 100,” (12). 

“How does it feel to drive to school?”

Christian Wilson (9)

“I enjoy being able to park on campus. I have a free 5th and 6th, so I don’t usually have to deal with traffic trying to get out of the parking lot after school. One con is that the gates get shut early sometimes; they were already locked at 8:25, and I ended up being late because I had to drive down and park in the Junior lot.” Alex Leary, (12)

Advice 

• “Honestly, this is something everyone says; it’s just, stop trying to be like everyone else because I know I honestly tried to be that person who tried to fit in. Going into high school, it was like no one cares about anything, you know, you could pull up in pj’s, and no one would care, so honestly, just do you!” Kaylie Chuk, (12)

• “I think that priorities for Freshman would be to stay on top of your classes and make sure that you get the credits that you’re required to get every year so you don’t have to make up anything or backtrack.” ‘Bug’, (12)

• “Always imagine yourself successful in the future and keep that mindset in everything you do,” Jocelyn Sopolosios (12)

• “Pay attention to your teachers, and just focus on doing your homework. I never did my homework in my first or second year, not even junior year, and honestly, it’s something you have to put your efforts into because honestly, I do regret it; I do regret not putting the work in. So you know, put the work in, put the work in,” Camilla (12)

• “Show up to class on time, do your work, try to make as many friends as you can, and just live like your high school years,” Aiden (12)

• “Lots of caffeine,” Ariana Akbar (12)

• “Just focus in and lock in, and everything will come out alright,” Ernie (12)

To Make the Long Story Short…

Going up to other students and asking them questions was intimidating. I had no idea who these people were, and they were older than me. However, I noticed that not a single person was rude or annoyed at the fact that a freshman was asking for advice, let alone an interview. They gladly answered my questions and took the time to give me advice. This might not have answered some of the questions brewing in your mind, but that doesn’t mean said question has to stay unanswered. Gather up the courage, grab a friend, and ask. That’s all it takes. They know what it’s like to be confused and lost or have questions. From what I’ve seen and experienced, they won’t think twice about helping you.