How to Cope with the Transition to High School

Going to high school is a large achievement in your life! You are stepping up another level, leaving you one level closer to being an adult and getting to choose between going to college and finding a job. High school is definitely different than middle school, and many kids feel stressed about this change. High school is where you have to become independent and more mature as you advance from being an inexperienced freshman to a mature, confident senior. Being in high school for four years may sound scary, but with enough time and perseverance, you will get through it. If you are starting high school, this article is for you.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Before High School Starts

  1. 1
    Save any online school assignments. Most schools give enrolled students a school email (and sometimes, access to document software/websites like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides with the email). If someone leaves the school due to any reason, they will usually disable their email and their school account. This will prevent you from accessing old school assignments like essays and projects. So, download things from your school account during the last week of school, since you don't know when the school will disable it.
    • You may just want to look at old items for nostalgia, or you may need to take a look at old projects to review. For example, you may need to apply concepts you used in a 7th grade coding project like functions and classes into a current one.
  2. 2
    Plan a last fun activity with your friends. Even if they aren't leaving permanently (and you'll see them in high school), having one last activity before summer break starts can be fun! Plus, you may not get to see each other during summer vacation due to family vacations and other plans. You may plan with your parents to have a friend graduation party on Saturday after the last day of school or go to the mall to have a shopping spree. Going to the beach or a nice restaurant are also good options. You can also invite your friends to your house, where you can do fun activities like draw caricatures, watch movies and TV shows, sing karaoke, and bring each other graduation gifts.
    • If your friends are leaving each other permanently, it's best to bring some parting gifts and mementos of the friendship to ensure that it isn't forgotten. You can bring bracelets, Polaroid pictures, puzzle erasers, matching pencils, scrunchies, or other small items to gift to each friend and yourself to make sure your friendship stays strong throughout high school.
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  3. 3
    Deal with the changes from middle school to high school. You've graduated elementary school and middle school already; high school is the home stretch of the game until college and beyond, where you can have more freedom and independence as an adult. High school is a time of growing up, where you may encounter more peer pressure, puberty, rigorous academic requirements, experimentation, and romantic situations. You may have to leave some childhood pals that are moving to a different school district. If you applied to private high schools, you may be separated from your friend group, attending a different high school from them. There are usually 700-1000+ students attending a high school depending on where you live, which means there are often more classes consisting of one grade level. [1]
    • This means that many people have a completely fresh start at high school; you won't meet many people you've seen in elementary school and middle school as many middle schools typically merge into one high school. Think of this as an advantage; this means leaving annoying classmates, bullies, and toxic friends.
    • If you are anxious about this transition, stay calm. All of your 8th grade classmates are also transitioning to high school, so don't worry! High schools are large, and the number of exams and homework may seem worrying at first. You can talk to your teachers after school during office hours for more help. There may also be tutoring offered at your school if you need additional help.
    • If you are sad, it's ok to cry it out. If your best friend is moving after middle school, plan a last fun event together and plan to contact each other during summer vacation and the upcoming high school year. Same goes if your friend group has separated due to being in different private high schools. It may be more difficult to meet up in person if everyone is far away but try doing this during school breaks like winter break and spring break.
  4. 4
    Deal with the excitement and wonder of going to high school. Many young teens know that high school means that their parents will eventually give them more freedom to make their own decisions. This transition may be fast or gradual depending on your parents' parenting style (e.g. if they are helicopter parents it may take a while for them to let you make your own decisions). This also means making new friends and trying out new things. You also get to meet new teachers and a high school counselor who will help you with applying to colleges. If you've recently just graduated middle school, you will have to wait until the end of summer vacation to meet these new people.
    • In the meantime, keep in contact with old friends during the summer break if you can. Write letters and send emails or text messages to your friends at least weekly. If you don't have much time during the break, coordinate a schedule with your friends to see when everyone's free.
    • When you're nearing the beginning of high school, consider shopping for school supplies. If you've used your school supplies for many years already, they may be worn out or broken. Purchase new ones at a school supply shop, like Staples, Target, Office Depot, etc. If your school offers you school supplies, just purchase some pencils, a couple of erasers, a glue stick, some pens, a pair of scissors, and a pencil case to put those supplies in.
  5. 5
    Deal with feeling gloomy and heartbroken after the end of middle school. High school is when you really start worrying about your future - what AP courses do you want to take that will help you with your future career? What will you do after high school? This is also the time where many friend groups separate. You may feel especially down in the dumps if you're not going to the school you've attended since kindergarten. Leaving your childhood school; the one that has let you foster so many friendships, talk with classmates, and hang out with so many helpful teachers is definitely difficult.
    • If the high schools your friends are going to are near each other, try to schedule some times where you can meet up in person to chat and have a great time. Take time to talk to them throughout the year. Ask them for their phone number or email address before middle school ends to ensure you can stay in touch.
  6. 6
    Prepare for high school. High school is different than middle school in many different ways. You'll have more exams and tests, and you will be the one responsible for most of your school activities. Your parents probably don't remind you of when to turn in your homework or when there's a test you have to study for anymore, or at least not as much as when you were in elementary school. Now, you have taken the reins even more, and you'll be responsible for taking care of your academics.
    • Stay very organized. You'll need to stay organized in high school to do well in class. Create a schedule of your classes and when and where you'll do homework.
    • You will also need to be independent; this means actually asking someone if you need help and going outside of your comfort zone to try out new things. [2]
    • Peer pressure will be even more prevalent in high school, as everyone wants to fit it and be accepted. But do not give in to negative peer pressure, or fulfilling requests from friends that will get you in trouble (drinking underage, gambling, smoking, vandalizing the school, fighting, bullying, making threats, etc.). Doing these will get you in serious trouble; you may get expelled or even arrested.
  7. 7
    Check in with your parents for information about your high school. Before the school year starts, your school should've provided you with basic information about your high school, such as what the rules are, who the teachers are, and the dress code. Your school usually sends an email to your caretakers that talks about these things. Go over them and ask your parents to send a follow-up email if you have concerns or questions on anything.
    • You'll likely receive your schedule closer to the school year beginning. This should include things like your homeroom teacher, your schedule for the rest of the day, and the rooms your classes are in. Review this information and see if there's a map of your high school that you can look at so you don't get lost.
  8. 8
    Attend high school orientation. Most high schools have an orientation for incoming freshman right before school starts. So, attend this orientation to understand the school rules, your schedule, how long each class is, the lunch system, extracurriculars, and other school events that may happen at the beginning of the year. [3] You may be uneasy and reluctant about orientation, as you may still be missing your old friends and are scared about starting high school. You should still go, as you may meet some new friends.
    • Act enthusiastic and walk up to a person who seems lonely and introduce yourself. Then, talk about your classes and your interests.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

On the First Day of High School

  1. 1
    Get up earlier. Even if you live close to the school, especially on your first day as you're getting your school supplies ready, things might happen that'll make you late. Wake up an hour to 30 minutes earlier than your regular wake-up time. This ensures you'll have enough time to prepare your supplies and figure out exactly where you need to go when you get to school.
    • For example, if you usually wake up at 7 AM for school, set your alarm or wake up at 6:30 AM. If you wake up at 6:30 AM, wake up at 6 AM. If you wake up at 7:15, wake up at 6:45 AM at the latest.
  2. 2
    Go over your classroom number, your homeroom teacher's name, and/or your schedule. These things are usually given to you before the school year starts, and you'll want to review these things just in case you forget. Write these down in a planner or a small notepad just for school stuff. [4] [5]
    • If your schedule says you go to Room 21, find where Room 21 is on the school map or directory (which may be given to you or found on the school's website). If it says Room 311, search for room 311.
    • If you don't yet have your schedule, make a note of where you'll need to go to obtain it.
  3. 3
    Find a nice outfit to wear. A nice outfit can make you feel more confident and can help you make friends easier! If your school does not provide nor require uniforms, you will need to choose your own clothing. Choose a simple outfit. It could be as easy as a T-shirt and sweatpants or a blouse and jeans. You can experiment with your own style by buying clothes beforehand and trying various outfits on during the summer.
    • Before you choose an outfit, groom yourself by shaving your armpit and leg hairs and showering if you typically do this in the morning. You should also comb your hair to make it presentable.
    • Some of the clothes you'll want to avoid wearing include overly distracting clothing, like neon or sparkly pieces. Also, don't wear anything with swear words or inappropriate slurs. You should also avoid overly revealing clothing at all costs, as well as short crop tops or shirts with very low necklines. Don't put on a very short skirt or sag your pants either. You should also keep your school's dress code in mind when choosing your clothes and choose clothes that follow it.
    • If your school requires a uniform, wear that. Your uniform (that your caretakers probably purchased from the school or a uniform company) could consist of a white, red, blue, or gray polo shirt, trousers with a belt, a plaid or gray skirt, and a school uniform sweater, sweatshirt, or jacket if it's chilly outside. Every school is different though, so your uniform may look a little different.
  4. 4
    Stay calm when you arrive at your first class. When you get to school, it might be extremely nerve-wracking. So, calm your fears down when it's time to enter the classroom. Promise yourself that your first class will go amazingly. Don't worry that people will hate you, that you'll get lost going to your next class, or that the teachers will be mean. Understand that you have those thoughts, then change them to positive thoughts. You will make friends on the first day, you will find your way to your next class, and the teachers will like you very much. You can also repeat a mantra to yourself while on the way there and take a few deep breaths. Listen to calming, cheerful music on the way there.
    • If you don't have assigned seats, choose a seat in the front if you can, since it may help you concentrate (and not look at the other things in the classroom).
    • Listen to the teacher's important instructions. The first day is mostly going to be teacher introductions, learning the school and class rules, student introductions, and the first assignments. There will likely also be forms for you and your parents to sign, like welcome letters from teachers and technology use agreements. Remember to tell your caretakers this so they can sign the papers.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Having a Great Time in 9th Grade

  1. 1
    Pay attention during class. Listen carefully during class to make sure you know all of the instructions. In elementary and middle school, you may have gotten away with zoning out during class and still getting good grades. In high school, you'll need to pay attention to every detail. You don't want to miss some instructions on formatting essays or instructions on doing a project! Even minute details count- some strict schools may subtract points if you miss out on small details, like positive and negative signs, punctuation errors, typos, or not indenting paragraphs.
    • Ignore people who try to distract you. Your best friends or the class clown may try to distract you by making funny faces, passing notes, tapping your shoulder, or whispering to you. Ignore them, and after class, tell them to stop talking during class, since it distracts you.
    • Avoid talking during class. Sure, it may be challenging in class to not share a cool story to your friends, laugh at a funny joke, catch up with your friends with PC games, or talk about a video with your friends. But those can wait until after class. Whenever you're about to start a conversation during class, think to yourself, "I need to pay attention to get a good participation grade." or "This meme can wait. I should close down this meme website, since it's not related to school."
    • Try to pay attention even if people around you are talking. Tell the teacher about the noisy classmates if they are disrupting your concentration or disrupting your ability to hear the teacher.
  2. 2
    Use your time in class wisely. Class times usually vary from 60 to 90 minutes in high school, which is typically longer than a class in middle school, and that is plenty of time to work. Your teacher may have spent half of that time lecturing but spend the rest of the time working on the assignment your teacher told you to do. Don't waste it by surfing on banned websites, going on social media, gaming, chatting with friends, fidgeting with a Rubik's cube, or doing anything unrelated to school. This wastes precious time to get important assignments done. If you don't have time at home to do an assignment and you've wasted the only time you have at school, you'll probably be very stressed about it.
    • Don't spend any class time chatting with your friends. You might get carried away and waste all of your time in class talking instead of doing classwork.
    • If you have extra time left over, do assigned homework from other classes (ask your teacher if you're allowed to do this beforehand), read a book, or relax and daydream.
  3. 3
    Attend elective classes. There will probably be more electives in your high school than in middle school. High schools usually cater to a wide variety of unique students, so there may be additional electives you can join. Common high school electives include band, orchestra, journalism, language, cooking, speech and debate, photography, visual arts, digital animation, graphic arts, and business + entrepreneurship. [6] These can be a great way to learn or improve upon a skill, and even perhaps make new friends.
  4. 4
    Join a sports team. High schools offer sports teams that students can join. You'll have to attend the tryouts first to see which students get in and which ones don't. You'll need to actually commit to this and attend practices- you can't slack off or not practice anything. You should attend all practices and games unless you are very sick or have another mandatory event that you have to attend that you've told your coach about.
    • Most schools have sports that rotate on a schedule. For example, during the fall, they may offer boys' football and girls' volleyball. In the winter, they may offer sports like boys' and girls' basketball. In the spring, they could offer boys' soccer and track and field.
    • Understand that not making the team is not the end of the world. You can always practice your skills to try out again next year.
  5. 5
    Join clubs at your school. In addition to regular school, you can join clubs. Clubs are afterschool activities that reflect your interests. High schools often have a lot of clubs for you to choose from. These are a space for doing what you enjoy while learning a few things, doing fun projects and even potentially making new friends.
    • Some clubs your school may have include a book, newspaper, writing, journalism, yearbook, student council, synopsis, environmental, math, ACSL, robotics, coding, history, art, music, speech and debate, drama, dance, chess, and a choir club.
    • If there isn't a club suited to your interests, ask a teacher or head of your school (usually the principal or headmaster) if you can make a club.
    • You should join more clubs in 9th or 10th grade than future years. You might not have time to join that many clubs in 11th or 12th grade because of college preparation. Join 2, 3, or even 4 clubs if you can to enjoy them.
  6. 6
    Go outside of your comfort zone. Even if you are the youngest in high school, it doesn't mean that you have little power or should be overlooked all the time. You may be the oldest out of all of your siblings (who may still be in middle or elementary school), or you may have younger friends. As you are probably around 14-15 years old, you should try out some new things.
    • Experiment with what you wear to school as long as you don't break the dress code. You may experiment wildly with clothing until you find some clothing that interests you (e.g. retro, preppy, or emo styles). Even if you have a uniform, add some subtle accessories to stand out.
    • Consider joining the student council to be the voice of the student body and work to create positive change at your school.
  7. 7
    Tell someone if you are being bullied. Bullying doesn't cease in high school, so you should be prepared. Private, public, online, charter, and magnet schools all have bullying- private schools don't have less rates of bullying than public schools, even though students in private schools are usually middle-class, have a stable family life, and are more educated. [7] Bullying also includes forcing you do activities you don't want to do, like forcing you to punch someone or cheat on a test.
    • Bullying is never fun nor is it good, so it's crucial to immediately tell a trusted adult- whether that's a teacher, counselor, or even the principal.
    • Anyone can bully you in different ways- they may make fun of your clothes, say that your interests are "silly" or "stupid", gossip about you, make you late to class, or do physical things to you (punching, shoving, kicking, pushing, pulling, or slamming you). These are all warning signs of bullying, so it's important to tell someone about this.
  8. 8
    Make some new friends . Many teens are excited to go to high school since they know their old friends will be there. So, they want to hang out with them all the time and make the high school experience seem like middle school. But it's best to make some new friends too, since this indicates that you're open to change. There may be some lonely kids that have trouble making new friends (as their old friends are now in different high schools, or maybe they didn't have any friends) because everyone is just sticking with their old friends from middle and elementary school. So, try to make some new friends instead of hanging out with old friends all the time.
    • Say hi to someone and wave during a class transition or help someone with their heavy books. You could also talk to someone sitting alone during break or lunch. Say something like, "How was the first class?" or "Are you taking world history?" or "I'm so excited to have our first Algebra lesson! I can't wait for all of the introductions to be over, since math's my favorite subject."
    • During lunch, sit next to a new group of classmates. Don't judge them or hold prejudice against them. Assume good faith, and don't think that "Oh, they already have friends, so they won't want to talk to me.", "They are probably mean/they hate me." or "They don't seem to have anything in common with me." You could also sit next to a person sitting alone and try to talk with them about school, clubs, and personal life.
  9. 9
    Don't rush into romantic relationships. You're a freshman, which is relatively young for a serious relationship. You shouldn't try dating someone just because you see people around you with dates. Don't be desperate in trying to find a significant other now; some people have one during college or in their 30s or 40s. Crushes can start at early as elementary school, although those are usually short-lived and last for a few days or a few weeks. High school crushes are more serious, and some date their crushes for a few months. [8] .
    • Try introducing yourself to your crush. Simply introducing yourself to them may let you get a taste of what the person's personality is like and if they can "click" with you. Try striking up a conversation with them if you see them again.
    • If you find a special person that shares some interests with you, understands your boundaries, and is willing to commit to spending time with you, you can try dating them.
    • Don't be forced into having sex with someone. Know your boundaries and report the person to the school and the authorities if they are forcing you to do this.
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      Tips

      • Ask an adult at the school if you need help! Navigating a high school can be challenging, so ask a teacher in the hallways or outside for help. They can show you where your classroom is located. Teachers probably understand that freshman have trouble navigating the school during the first days, so don't be worried if you are late to class during this timeframe. Also, don't be nervous or embarrassed- other students have probably experienced the same thing.
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      • If you didn't have any way to contact your friends/classmates, be grateful and say farewell. Friends and classmates come and go each school year (and in other life stages like working in a profession), so don't expect to have lifelong friends that easily. Cherish the memories you had by putting photos of you all in a photo album and writing down memories you had with them. Cry out your feelings by listening to sad songs about memories, nostalgia, and leaving loved ones. Then, try to keep up your spirits, by taking up a hobby and making new friends.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2021/06/04/whats-the-right-high-school-size-and-structure/?sh=11b51cb4aa18
      2. ↑ https://blog.kingscollege.qld.edu.au/ten-top-tips-for-students-starting-high-school
      3. ↑ https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/freshmen-orientation-helping-your-rising-9th-grader-prepare-for-high-school#:~:text=Typically%20hosted%20a%20few%20weeks,questions%20regarding%20their%20upcoming%20year .
      4. ↑ https://www.scarymommy.com/first-day-of-high-school
      5. ↑ https://classroom.synonym.com/first-high-school-tips-tricks-6504879.html
      6. ↑ https://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-list-of-high-school-electives
      7. ↑ https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/bullying-in-private-schools-versus-public-schools
      8. ↑ https://www.theteenmagazine.com/how-high-school-relationships-are-different-than-adult-relationships

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