As a senior in high school, I often reflect back to my eighth grade year when all my peers and I talked about was which school we got into and what we were expecting. My sister who was a freshman at the time would talk about how much she missed middle school and how easy middle school was compared to high school. The media always mentioned about how high school would be the most important part of your life ,so I went in there expecting a lot. Here are five things I wish I knew before starting high school. 

• It is awkward for everyone in the beginning. It is hard to socialize when you go to an unfamiliar area where you do not know anyone. You are not alone, a lot of students feel the same way. It is okay to go up to someone and start a conversation, they do not think you are “weird.” They will most likely respond and you might make a new friend.     
• Your grades from every year matter. A lot of students think that their junior year grades are the only grades that matters to college admissions. Starting from freshman year, every grade on your transcript will reflect your GPA and colleges will be able to look at all of them.   
• Time management is very important.  In high school, you take more classes than you have before. Some of those classes may even be college level courses. In addition to classes, you may also have clubs, volunteering opportunities or sports after school. It is important to manage your time and put your schoolwork above all. If you keep delaying it, work will start piling up which will cause you to complete it in a rush- with minimal effort.
• High school is a time where you will learn a lot about yourself and grow as a person. In high school, you are able to take a variety of courses, join different clubs and organizations, and meet different types of people. You will start to realize what you like and dislike, and what type of people you want to surround yourself with. You may realize that you want to pursue a certain career because of a class you took. 
• People come and go. You usually make friends with the people in your class or people in a club or sport that you are a part of.  There will always be friends that you will have in your life for a long time, even after you graduate. However, most of the people you meet will not be in your life the following year, especially if you go to a big high school.