A Letter To My Freshman Self

Dear Ninth Grade Me,

Here we are, four days from graduation. You’ve made it! I know, high school was tough. You changed schools, made new friends and experienced all sorts of new things. I know that you are nervous about the next four years, so here is some advice to keep you going.

Get a planner and stay organized.

Keep track of homework, quizzes, tests and extracurriculars. Find a planner that makes you happy to look at, one that you will be motivated to open and write in. Experiment with bullet-journaling, note-taking and more to figure out what method works for you.

Know that you will probably procrastinate.

Accept this! It’s OK to take a minute and breathe. As long as you don’t get bogged down by the work, it’s perfectly fine to say that you will do an assignment another time.

Challenge yourself-academically and socially.

Take the time to talk to new people and make new connections. These are the people that you will remember, the ones who can connect you to more opportunities in the future. Academically, push yourself out of your comfort zone. Take the AP Calculus BC course; it will be hard, but you can do it. Apply yourself to all of your assignments, even if you don’t want to. That way, you will be ready to apply yourself to almost anything in the future; it will be your norm. These challenges are what will continue to motivate you throughout your high school career.

Enjoy every moment.

Try not to sweat the small stuff. Friends will come and go, you will get upset sometimes and it will be frustrating. Just try to take it all in stride and enjoy the ride. Know that whatever happens will work itself out for the best.

Understand that it will be hard, but you can do it.

All of your hard work will pay off; you will get into the school that is your perfect fit. Know that pushing yourself often will lead to a bigger payoff in the end, making graduation that much more satisfying.

Overall, be kind to everyone you meet. You will never know if someone has had a bad day, and being nice to them can perk them up. That is an easy way to make friends and to have connections for the future. Try not to rush through the next four years; breathe and enjoy your time.

Good luck!

Love,

12^th Grade Sloane

Sloane Warner is a senior at The Weber School in Atlanta and will be attending Northwestern University in Chicago next year. She is a member of Fresh Ink for Teens’ Editorial Board.

Fresh Ink for Teens is an online magazine written by, and for, Jewish students from high schools around the world.