Senior in high school. It’s really weird to say and still doesn’t sound right when I introduce myself that way to others.
Freshman year feels like ancient history, and I wish I could give some advice to my freshman self, but instead I will have to settle for the current freshmen at MC. There are a few key things that would have helped me out in the long term had I known them freshman year.
It really does turn out that the grades you get freshman year matter later on, and you should not slack off on those. When I was a freshman I didn’t exactly do that, but it wasn’t like I tried my hardest either–at least not until they put the class rankings up and my competitive side pushed me to work a little harder. One’s GPA from their freshman year is still really important.
“As Coach O’Connor probably tells every freshman all the time, the Trimester 1 of freshman year is the same weight as Trimester 3 of senior year,” said senior Ryan Clark. “It all counts to the same GPA.”
Even now as a senior I am still trying to make up for the mistakes I made regarding my grades when I was a freshman. It has been unbelievably hard to get my GPA to the point it is at, and I don’t think I will be able to get more than a 4.7 and break into the top ten in our class rankings.
Also, I wish I didn’t get caught up in the moment so much and let it all blur by. Stop and remember to enjoy your freshman year while you’re living it.
I never stopped to take freshman year in. I was in a rush and forgot to make sure I kept those memories with me.
“You should remember your freshman year,” said senior Leonard Siegal. “Things are going to happen that you won’t think will matter, but they really do. It’s where you make your first friends that will last you for the rest of your life, or at least the next few years. It’s where you get involved in clubs that can show you what you’re interested in. It’s when you start to develop into the person you want to become, instead of just thinking about the things you want to be. Freshman year is the beginning of the next chapter of your life.”
Freshmen need to make sure they get involved in something. The last thing you want to be is a “2:40 guy” who leaves once school is over. Pick a few extracurriculars and be dedicated to them, but don’t make it so you are leaving one club early to go to another one late.
A lot of freshmen struggle to make friends when they come from schools in which they are the only student going to MC. I was one of them and can say that the easiest way to meet people is by joining extracurriculars.
“Get involved in things,” said Clark. “My freshman year I didn’t start doing a lot of activities until late winter or early spring. I joined the lacrosse team because I was bored. My freshman and sophomore year I came in kind of defensive of being made fun of almost, but you got to realize everybody here is a nerd in their own right. Even a guy like [senior quarterback] Jack Elliott is a football nerd. You have to do what you want.”
But you shouldn’t just join every club. That’s a great way to be too spread out to actually get good at anything or develop any skills. Being involved in too much also takes away time that should be spent doing school work.
“I wouldn’t do everything,” said Clark. “I shouldn’t be playing football and be trying to squeeze my way into the bowling team in season. I wouldn’t be worried when I’m going from football to wrestling. I wouldn’t be trying to make the playoff practices and the early wrestling pre seasons.”
There are a plethora of different clubs and activities at MC. Also, if there is something we don’t have and a freshman thinks we should, they are encouraged to start a club for it. There is no reason to ever leave this school when the last bell rings. I often feel that’s just the start of my day.
Even if freshmen out there decide to not take my advice, I still want them to just make sure that they enjoy their freshman year. It’s something you only get to experience once.
“As a senior, it’s tough to remember Chapter 1 when I’m so caught up in the epilogue,” said Siegal. “But the foundation is what built me, and what built my story. It’s what will build yours, so you better not forget it.”
