“The fastest four years of your life, so enjoy every moment.” I remember Mr. Amore saying something along these lines in the senior class (25’s) freshman meeting. I didn’t believe him at first, but now the 25’s sit here as seniors looking back at what was quite literally the quickest four years of highschool. As some freshmen may say, it’s pointless or silly to listen to advice from the upperclassmen, but what’s underlooked is the knowledge and experience all upperclassmen gain as they get older and older. To the freshman class, here’s the advice the 25’s want to leave you with.
All grade levels at Rochester have a class president. They play a vital role in the community and see us grow as people and as a grade. Senior class president Megan Myrick advises, “make the most of your time and search for a sense of fulfillment. It’s a time to explore and make mistakes, so take advantage of it.” As being an involved member in all social events, school events, and much more Myrick is able to provide a sense of judgment that she has observed over her years at Rochester High.
Rochester is prestigious for its social events. You have Friday Night Lights (FNL), Falcon Frenzy, Homecoming game, Homecoming, Club Fair and many more. While some may find this pointless, others find dressing up and attending events as a way to connect with the school community. “Enjoy every last second of highschool because it ends in a blink, get involved in more clubs, and go to as many events as possible,” Senior Rafaela Gruer says. Yet, attending these social events can be different and not quite what you expect. Senior Emilia Firaku advises, “take care of your mental and well being. You’re being exposed to so many new things, places, people, experiences that it will be easy to overstress yourself.” The mental health of a student is so important and shifting from middle school to high school can be a bigger change than expected, so it is important to look after yourself.
Not only can you find the social aspect of school at events, but also amongst your peers! Senior Maria Mollicone states “make as many new friends as possible.”As Rochester combines from West and Reuther, classes may allow you to embrace the opportunity of meeting new people. Although this can be terrifying, it can also lead to possibly some lifelong friendships. Hence why Senior Kylah Vigeant says, “immerse yourself in situations where you are forced to converse with new people.” As scary as it can be, immersing yourself into uncomfortable situations not only expands your social skills, but prepares you for future work and helps develop relationships with peers that can benefit you for future classes. However, being social may sidetrack you from other purposeful values. Senior Riley Hubbard reminds us to always, “choose people that choose you.” Surrounding yourself with people who enjoy your presence and make you feel welcomed allow for an easier transition throughout high school. “always remember that 4 quarters is better than 100 pennies”.
Although the social aspect is most enjoyed throughout high school, this is an educational establishment. Nobody likes to pay attention and learn, yet slacking off can be detrimental towards your credentials to graduate. Senior Jacob Yaklin states, “don’t mess up your GPA in the first semester because it’s pretty hard to bring it up after one bad semester.” Believe it or not, freshman year is so important and really establishes your root to success. “Start off with your GPA high. You might not think freshman year is serious, but it will affect your GPA throughout your highschool years,” senior Varnika Mukku explains. Both Mukku and Yaklin give great advice on the importance of grades and how it can benefit or harm you as you enter new grade levels with more challenging classes and opportunities.
Not only do seniors advise you to care about your grades, the seniors also want you to be aware of the rules that aren’t written at Rochester High. “There are unspoken traffic rules in the hallway,” states Senior Anna Lavigne. Rochester is a big school, so it is important to make sure that all students cooperate and pick up on said rules such as the 2 sides of the hallway, one going and one coming. To not stand and socialize in the middle of the hallway, and to not walk in large groups. To prevent this, it is better for freshmen to pick up on the rules before upperclassmen start to lose patience.
As important as grades and rules are, relationships with your teachers can also go a long way. “Make friends with your teachers,” says Senior Aubrey Hillard. Creating a relationship with your teachers can benefit students for ongoing years as having a trusted adult to talk to or getting a letter of recommendation. Hence why it is important to establish these relationships at the beginning of highschool rather than the end.
As important as the educational and social aspects of high school are, you matter most. Taking care of yourself is so underlooked in high school, it is important that you don’t try to change yourself to fulfill an expectation that is unreasonable. “Be you, everyone else is taken,” Encourages Senior Lexi Salem. Trying to fulfill a role that has unrealistic expectations can do more harm than good, Senior Gracie Welch adds, “nobody cares what you look like, just you. Stay true to yourself.” As seniors, we have all created a personality unique to ourselves that has allowed us to come together as a class and enjoy senior year together rather than apart. “Be yourself,” states Senior Giuliana Janow. As Myrick stated earlier; highschool is you are taking advantage of learning your own sense of fulfillment, don’t expose yourself to things you’re uncomfortable with just because your friends are, always remember it is okay to say no.
