{"id":2324,"date":"2014-07-24t10:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-07-24t10:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/?p=2324"},"modified":"2015-04-14t21:29:25","modified_gmt":"2015-04-14t21:29:25","slug":"high-school-freshman-year-bucket-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/high-school-freshman-year-bucket-list\/","title":{"rendered":"high school freshman year bucket list"},"content":{"rendered":"
contrary to what some sources claim, your freshman year of high school does matter<\/a>. for tons of incoming freshmen, this year will mark the beginning of the long, arduous journey to college. and if you\u2019re a freshman, though you certainly don\u2019t have to stress over college this early, this is a great year to get yourself on the right path!<\/p>\n here is a great bucket list of things to do your freshman year! in middle school, it\u2019s easy to get away with disorganization. in high school, with six different classes all over the campus, strange new schedules, and a bunch of people you\u2019ve never met before, organization is key to staying sane! buy sticky notes, a few three-ring binders with dividers, notebooks, highlighters…whatever it takes to keep you on track! also, those calendar organizers (or reminder binders, as my school calls them) that are given out at the beginning of the school year are more crucial than they appear. you can write down all your homework and assignments in them, and they\u2019ll be a life-saver to you for the rest of high school…so make sure to use them! find a club that interests you, and join one. clubs are awesome in that you can meet with people who enjoy similar things that you do, make a whole bunch of new friends, and participate in lots of cool activities. if you\u2019re very involved with a certain club, this could also be great for college apps (in the very far-off future!).<\/p>\n alternatively, you can also start a club! you can invite friends to join and meet new people through recruitment. it\u2019s a great way to really get involved in your high school. also, being a club president for all four years of high school is a great way to show colleges your commitment and drive. this might seem intimidating, but seriously: take the leap! taking challenging honors or ap classes is a great way to grow mentally and improve your gpa. teachers definitely demand a lot more in high school, and this is going to sound cheesy…but if you believe you can do it, and you work hard at it, those classes are perfectly doable. if you\u2019re trying your best and the classes are still too difficult for you, then you can always drop out; but, if you never try at all, you won\u2019t be tapping your full potential! i know it isn\u2019t the most appealing item on this bucket list, but these tests really are important. i had no idea what an sat subject test was during my freshman year\u2014the year i took biology. therefore, while i took the ap biology test that year, i didn\u2019t take the subject test until i learned about it sophomore year. by then, i\u2019d already forgotten a lot of the material and had to re-study. don\u2019t make my mistake! if you\u2019re already taking an honors class, you could easily buy a prep book and study for the corresponding ap and sat subject test, too.<\/p>\n you don\u2019t have to even take the class to take its ap test. if you\u2019re really into psychology, for example, you can buy an ap psychology prep book and self-study. you shouldn\u2019t overburden yourself with a whole bunch of these tests your freshman year, but it\u2019s a good idea to get started on at least one or two. this is so integral to high school! find what you like and what you\u2019re good at, and find a community in your high school with fosters this. for example, if you\u2019re really into acting, take drama classes, join the drama club, and maybe even try out for a few school productions. try out for a sport if you\u2019re athletic, or if you play an instrument, join the school band or orchestra. there are so many options out there. just make sure not to seclude yourself from the rest of the high school community! this will also prove to be beneficial to you in the long run because colleges like seeing concentrated extracurriculars\u2014that is, an applicant which is very strong in a certain niche. the earlier, the better. it\u2019s a little too late to start looking your senior year. they really aren\u2019t that scary in reality! when you first enter high school, everyone will look so intimidating\u2014especially the juniors and seniors. i remember entering high school, seeing someone with a fully grown beard, and freaking out. friendships with upperclassmen, however, are some of the most rewarding friendships high school has to offer. upperclassmen are almost done with high school. they\u2019ve taken the classes you\u2019re going to take and have countless pieces of advice to offer. they\u2019re also great tutors and can show you around campus if you\u2019re lost\u2014don\u2019t miss out! snag one while you can. inside that hormonal, sleep-deprived shell is an actual human being. it might seem daunting to go to high school events, but really\u2014do it! football games, dances, movie nights, fundraisers, etc. are great ways to meet new people, get to know your school better, and have a lot of fun. i know lots of people who dearly regret not getting involved during freshman year because they thought school activities were lame or because they were too scared to try them out. freshman year is the year where you\u2019ll have the most free time, so make use of it! don\u2019t be afraid of meeting people from other middle schools\u2014and don\u2019t seclude yourself with the same group of people you\u2019ve known since kindergarten! this doesn\u2019t mean you should ditch them completely, but try and make new friends, too. meet people from different friend groups–and be friendly! even if your high school is very cliquey, don\u2019t automatically reject people who may be very different from you. high school only lasts four years, and it\u2019s a great place to meet a huge variety of people. make the most of it. don\u2019t be a carl fredricksen. depending on your high school, there might be a service learning requirement for all grades. volunteering not only completes these hours, but it\u2019s rewarding, too. not to mention, it\u2019s great for college apps. (man, that\u2019s becoming annoying.) it\u2019s a little more difficult to find good volunteer jobs when you\u2019re still thirteen or fourteen, but they certainly exist. ask around locally or find a virtual job through places like volunteermatch.<\/a> you can also ask your high school guidance counselor or teachers for upcoming volunteer opportunities. find something that you\u2019ll enjoy\u2014and find something that you can stay committed to. this is a must. high school will be a lot more rewarding if you venture out of your comfort zone and try new things! (and no, i don\u2019t mean illegal <\/em>things. unless you really want a mugshot, speaking of which\u2026<\/a>) this ties into almost everything on this list. in general, don\u2019t be afraid to chase after opportunities or do things you\u2019ve never done before. high school is a cesspool of change, and it only gets harder when you\u2019re afraid of it. freshman year is what you make of it. challenge yourself, expand your comfort zone, and make sure to have fun! (while staying safe, of course!) freshman year is the foundation upon which your other three years will be built, so spend it wisely.<\/p>\n contrary to what some sources claim, your freshman year of high school does matter. for tons of incoming freshmen, this year will mark the beginning of the long, arduous journey to college. and if you\u2019re a freshman, though you certainly don\u2019t have to stress over college this early, this is a great year to get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[103,26],"ppma_author":[24894],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n <\/p>\n1) get organized<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\n2) participate in the club community<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\n3) take challenging classes<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\n4) look into ap and sat subject tests<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\n5) find your niche!<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\n6) befriend upperclassmen<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\n7) attend school events<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n8) meet new people<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\n9) start volunteering<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\n10) try new things<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\ntakeaway<\/h2>\n
\nphoto credit: 1<\/a> \/ 2<\/a> \/ 3<\/a> \/ 4<\/a> \/ 5<\/a> \/ 6<\/a> \/ 7<\/a> \/ 8<\/a> \/ 10<\/a>
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