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You may think that it's cool and funny to be mean to your chemistry teacher, but when your midterm grade rolls around and your C+ was not rounded to a B-, you'll have another thing coming. Though you won't love all of your teachers, it greatly benefits you to be polite to them, show up to their classes on time and at least act interested in course material. Sleeping in class is highly unadvised. When you apply to college, you'll need several teacher recommendations, so it's better to start building your relationships early. If you want to succeed in your first year of high school, then you have to know which habits do and don't work well for you when it comes time to study for the big exam. Do you study best during your free periods, right after school, or at night, before you go to bed? Do you like listening to music or snacking while you study, or do you prefer nothing more than silence and a cup of tea? Find a routine that works for you early on and stick to it. If you work better in groups, then find a study group made up of academically-minded young people so you can motivate each other. Do this only if you think you can really get work done this way. Become a master note-taker. Taking notes in class will help you study when exam time comes. And, obviously, avoid all nighters. You will feel panicked and horrible, and too exhausted to do well on the day of the big test. Block out time to study at least several days in advance before a big test. Try to review a little each day. It's hard to get yourself to review for half an hour two or three weeks before a test...but imagine cramming that many hours the night before. Plus, you'll retain the information much better. This should be obvious, but it isn't. Don't do your homework on the bus on the morning of school, or in homeroom, either. Take the time to diligently do your homework right after school, in study hall, or when you get home after extra-curricular activities. Make sure that you really get it done instead of just doing the bare minimum and forgetting key information. Plus, this practice will help you to study for the test. Also, if you're struggling with your homework, don't be embarrassed to get extra help after school. Participating in class will not only keep you from falling asleep in class and will make your teacher love you, but it will also make you more excited about the material you're learning, and more excited to come to class. You don't have to answer every question your teacher asks or offer insights every five seconds, but you should speak up from time to time so your teacher sees that you know your stuff. Participating will also make you do better on tests. If you're more engaged with the material, then you'll understand it better. Though you shouldn't feel pressured to make a list of your top ten dream colleges during your freshman year, you should have an idea of what kind of college you'll be applying to, or at least a sense of how competitive it is. Or if you are thinking about directly entering the workforce when you are done with high school, you can start thinking about future careers that you want to do. In general, to apply to a four-year university, you'll need to demonstrate a record of academic success, foreign language credits, 2-3 teacher recommendations, a personal essay, and participation in outside activities, from team sports to volunteer organizations. If you start joining clubs and sports during your freshman year, you'll have time to develop your skills and find a leadership position by your junior or senior year. If you haven't done anything outside of school until your junior year, and you're suddenly joining 5,000 clubs, colleges will be suspicious. You can think about college, but don't obsess over it. One grade will not affect your admission to college, and you'll still have a lot of school left. If there IS a college you know you want to go to, research for their course requirements to get a brief idea of what credits you need. Better to get those out of the way rather than cramming them all in one year. You know that folder from the eighth grade, where you just shoved all of your papers from every subject? You know, the one that tore in half by the end of the year, the one that you lost under your bed for a week that made you fail two tests? Yeah, that's amateur hour. It's time to step up your game. The everything folder won't fly in high school, so make sure you have binders for every subject (or divide a binder for two classes), multiple notebooks, and folders for every class. Label each folder carefully, and go through your things at the end of every day to make sure that you haven't misplaced any papers. Part of being organized is having an organized locker. Make sure your books are neatly stacked in it, not sloppily thrown in. Have a planner. This will help you know in advance when you'll have a busy week and to plan ahead for tests and other events. Some schools also provide you with a planner, so if your school gives you one, be sure to use it. If a teacher has a specific request for a binder, folder or notebook, then make sure that you get whatever organizational method they request, and use it for at least the first few months of the school year. If you find that the method they're having you use isn't working, then talk to them and see if they will let you use a different method for their class. That's right. Don't just hang out with the people who think "IQ" is the second cousin of ET. Though your friends don't have to be Einsteins-in-training, it'll be nice to have some motivated, intelligent people in your social circle. They can help you study, give you homework tips, and help you handle the stress of a full work load. On the other hand, don't just befriend the smart kids because you think they'll help you get better grades. No one likes to be used, and they'll catch on pretty quickly if your only goal is to get something out of them. Try to cultivate a balanced relationship with them-and who knows? They might just become your good friends too! Plus, being friends with smarter people will also make you a smarter person. And who doesn't want that? Seriously, this is something you will regret for the rest of your life. Sure, you might end up being cool in high school, but what about when it comes time to apply to college and you can't even spell your name correctly on the SAT? Though your social life is important, don't forget that your academic life is just as important -- and maybe even more so, since it can set the tone for the rest of your life. Don't hide your intelligence just because you think people will like you more if you're clueless. That's just not true anymore. Plus, even if it were, the right people will like you regardless of if you're in honors and racking up good grades.
Be respectful to your teachers. Have a solid tailor-made study plan. Do your homework. Participate in class. Start thinking about college (and/or your future career) -- but not too much. Avoid the "everything folder" at all costs. Get organized. Hang out with some smart people. Don't be too cool to be smart.