Flashcards are your best friend.

In middle school, I never really studied for any quizzes or tests. When I got to high school, I had to change my study habits quickly. I found that the best way to study was flashcards. Paper or electronic, flashcards are always the way to go.

It’s not as hard as you think.

I was absolutely terrified walking into my first day of high school. I thought everything was going to be ten times harder than middle school. Although some things were a lot harder, there were other things that were very similar to middle school.

Get involved.

Coming out of middle school, I only knew the 30 kids that went to school with me. I joined cross country, and I met a lot of people before the school year even started. When school started, I joined a few different clubs and also met people through those.

You will lose friends, but also make more.

Coming into high school, I thought I was going to stay close friends with the same five girls I had always been friends with, but that’s not what happened. Although I am still friends with them, I made many more friends. In middle school, there were 30 kids, but when you get to high school, there are 200. It’s a lot easier to find people that are more like you in high school.

Study more than the night before.

In middle school, it was pretty easy to get away with studying a little bit the night before, but you can’t do that in high school. Because of exams at the end of each semester, you can’t just quickly memorize the material; you need to fully understand it. Studying the night before will not help you when finals come along.

Get help if you need it.

If you are struggling in any subject, there is always help for you. Ask the teacher for help if you need it; teachers are here to help us when we need it. If you need help beyond a few questions from the teacher, go to Student Services. They will set you up with a student tutor that will help you out.

Being compared to your older sibling isn’t always bad.

Being a freshman, I was actually really lucky to have my brother there. My brother Colton is a senior at Notre Dame. The first day of school most of my teachers asked, “Are you Colton’s sister?” I was pretty annoyed at first, but I was looking at it wrong. Teachers loved my brother, and it wasn’t bad that they thought I was going to be like him. Sure, I’m not as outgoing and talented as my older brother, but I have heard many times that we look alike.

Don’t be afraid to have fun.

High school isn’t just about academics. There are many out-of-school activities that are a lot of fun. From dances to sports events to everything in between, there is always something going on at Notre Dame. Don’t be afraid to check out all the different events.