For the incoming first-year student, high school can elicit a wide range of feelings: excitement about new friends, worry over tougher classes and courseloads, pride in reaching a new stage in life, trepidation about a new environment, curiosity about interesting subject material, and much more. Whatever blend of emotions you’re experiencing as you get ready to enter high school, know you’re not alone.

By preparing for the school year, engaging with the people and opportunities around you, and checking in with yourself throughout, you’ll be well-equipped to make the most of your first year as a high-school student. Read on for twelve tips to help you do just that.

Prepare Over the Summer

The best thing you can do to calm those start-of-school jitters is to take care of the things in your control. Make sure to check your email and carefully read through any communications from your school, as they may contain important information about what you need to do to be ready for the school year.

1. Complete Summer Reading and Other Assignments

Many schools assign one or several books to read over the summer, and some also include other assignments like math work to ensure all students are on the same page when the school year begins. Aim to complete any summer assignments before your first day of high school. Starting off the year behind on work is a stressor that can be easily avoided!

2. Test Your Commute

Whether you’re taking public transportation (as many Commonwealth students do), riding a bus, being driven by a parent, walking, or zipping by on a hoverboard, it’s important to think about your commute in advance so you’re not caught off guard on your first day of high school. Depending on your method of transportation, you’ll want to think about things like public transit schedules, the impact of rush-hour traffic, and similar factors. Do a trial run in advance so you feel confident about your route and how much time it will take—especially helpful if you’ll be taking public transportation. Regardless of your route, it’s always smart to leave home early on your first day to give yourself plenty of time and avoid stress over being late to school.

3. Stock Your Supplies

Some high schools will wait until the first day of school to let you know what supplies you’ll need for your classes; others may do so over the summer. If you receive a list of supplies in advance of the school year, cross a shopping trip off your to-do list and get your materials as soon as you can. Even if you aren’t told what specific supplies you’ll need, it never hurts to grab basics like pens, pencils, and notebooks. (Pro tip: ask any upperclassmen you know if there are any items you can skip on the school’s official list! Maybe you don’t need an extra protractor after all…)

4. Plan Ahead for the Morning

Especially if you struggle to wake up early or stress over small decisions, take care of some of your morning tasks the night before, like picking out an outfit or packing your school bag or lunch—you’ll thank yourself the next day! Plus, if your summer sleep schedule has been out of whack, consider practicing for your school-day wake-up time the last few days (or week) of summer.

5. Make the Most of Orientation

Most high schools hold an orientation program for incoming first-year students sometime in the last few weeks of summer. This is a great opportunity to hear from faculty, staff, and current students and get a clearer picture of what your first days of high school will look like. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of this chance to ask any questions on your mind; that’s exactly what orientation is for.

Engage When You Get There

At the end of the day, there’s only so much you can do to prepare yourself for the first day, and that’s okay. High school is a brand-new experience for every first-year student, and it will bring unexpected twists and surprises along the way. While that uncertainty can feel intimidating, there’s also plenty to be excited about—and so much to be gained by jumping in with both feet.

6. Ask Questions

You’ll digest oodles of information over your first week of high school about your classes, teachers, schedule, classmates, student life, and more. It’s okay if it doesn’t all make sense right off the bat! In fact, you’ll probably find everyone around you is facing similar challenges. Make the most of your first days of school by asking questions when you’re confused or need help. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking up in class, you can always talk with a teacher after class or another time, including over email. Your teachers, advisors, and other school staff want you to succeed and are more than happy to help! Plus, it’s always a good idea to connect personally with teachers and advisors at the beginning of the school year so you can begin to get to know each other.

Just as you wouldn’t expect to pass a final exam on the first day of a class, don’t expect yourself to know everything about high school going into it."

7. Visit Clubs and Activities

For many students, extracurricular activities are a defining part of their high school experience, as well as one of the best ways to make friends with similar interests. Don’t hesitate to check out any clubs or activities that interest you, even if it’s something you haven’t tried before or are unsure about. Some schools hold an activities fair at the beginning of the year to allow students to learn about the range of extracurriculars available, or you may be able to find a list of student organizations on your school’s website. While you don’t want to overwhelm yourself by joining every club your high school offers, pick a few options to explore and drop by a meeting early in the year to see if you want to pursue them further. You may discover a passion you never knew you had and make some great new friends along the way. (Note, if you are interested in joining a sports team, be sure to check in advance if there are tryouts or practices required before the school year begins.)

8. Lean into Lunchtime

In the flurry of your first days of high school, it may be tempting to turn inward during the moments you aren’t in class and spend lunchtime on your phone or in your own world. Challenge yourself to put your phone or other distractions away and chat with someone during lunch; just a few minutes of conversation could lead to a new friend, a helpful perspective, or simply a greater feeling of ease in your new community. At the same time, remember that getting to know people happens gradually, so don't pressure yourself to make a new best friend or solid friend group in your first week.

9. Take Advantage of School Resources

Chances are, there’s a lot more to your high school than classes and clubs. It’s a good idea in your first few days to familiarize yourself with the resources your school has to offer so you know where to go when you find yourself in need of them. For example, swing by the library to learn about what materials or research assistance it has to offer. Another type of resource to keep in mind is support for students’ wellbeing, which may take the form of a guidance counselor, personal advisor, Dean of Students, or something else. These resources will likely be introduced during your orientation or another time during your first few days. Make sure you know where or to whom you can go if you need support at any point; don’t struggle alone when there are people ready to help you!

Check In with Yourself Throughout

Remember: you’ve got four years of high school ahead of you—it’s a marathon, not a sprint, which means it’s vital to check in with yourself and set realistic goals.

10. Make a Plan—but Be Flexible

Time management is one of the most important skills you will develop throughout high school as you take on challenging classes in addition to extracurriculars and other activities. It’s okay if you don’t have this mastered as a first-year student; most people (including many adults!) don’t. Your focus as you begin high school should be learning more about yourself, how you learn, and how to identify your teachers’ expectations. Keep a planner so you can easily keep track of all of your assignments and come up with a schedule that makes the most sense to you to get your work done on time. Note how much time your different assignments take to complete. There’s a lot of trial and error in this phase, as you speed through some types of assignments and get a bit bogged down by others. As you grow accustomed to your classes, as well as your own pace and style of learning, it will become much easier to set attainable goals and manage your work with less stress.

11. Prioritize Yourself

No one can do their best work when they’re sleep-deprived, hungry, or otherwise not taking care of themselves. Tending to your health and well-being should always take precedence over finishing up an assignment or sneaking in some late-night studying—and will allow you to perform better in the long run. You already know what much of this looks like: getting in some exercise every day, eating balanced meals, spending time with people you care about. But it can also look like journaling, meditating, even just taking a shower. Especially in your first week of high school, you may find yourself feeling extra tired from being in a new environment all day, which makes it all the more important to get at least eight hours of sleep at night.

12. Take a Breath

High school is a completely new routine, and adjusting to a new routine takes time. Your first days of high school are about getting settled, learning new names and faces, finding your way around, figuring out academic expectations, dipping your toes into student life, and orienting yourself in your new world. Just as you wouldn’t expect to pass a final exam on the first day of a class, don’t expect yourself to know everything about high school going into it. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, take a moment to breathe and remember that this new routine is supposed to come with a learning curve—and everyone around you is on it, too.

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