As we all know, our seniors are graduating soon and leaving their high-school lives behind for greater things. 

Whatever the future may hold, whether it’s college, trade school, a career, or just soul-searching and adventures, the senior class of 2022 has some hard-learned advice for underclassmen. Several seniors offered up some words of wisdom for the incoming freshmen soon to arrive full-time on the JHS campus. 

From the words of one senior, “Don’t procrastinate on any assignments; the stress you will get from that will drive you insane.”

One of the most common responses was probably not to procrastinate on your classwork; I can second that as a junior who hasn’t slept in the past three years. Procrastination = staying up all night to save grades = bags under your eyes that are bigger than your binder, overflowing with papers you can’t find time to organize.

Trust me; your GPA will thank you later. 

A popular response was to join extracurricular activities. Getting involved with the school, outside of class hours, with extracurricular programs can be very beneficial to any high school student. 

Another senior said, “Join Student Council. It’s super fun and it will get you involved with the school.” 

Whether you’re interested in dance, art, academic UIL, or sports – go for it. You might find a new passion or even new friends.

If you’re a freshman who is only focused on finding a new boyfriend, girlfriend, or whatever…stop. This isn’t High School Musical and you don’t need to have the Troy to your Gabriella. 

“Don’t worry about being in a relationship in high school. You will have a lot more options after you graduate,” offered one sage senior. 

But, if you are going to date anyway, DO NOT date a senior/upperclassman. 

From the advice of another senior, “Date someone your age.”

Maybe a one-year age gap isn’t that bad, but any more than that, when you’re a younger teenager, is pushing it. 

Another less prevalent, but perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice, is to get a driver’s license. 

“Freshman should get their license ASAP!” said a soon-to-be graduate. 

The sooner you can get your license, the closer you are to freedom and independence. Plus, it’d be really scary to go off to university/trade school without knowing how to drive a car. 

Actually, you should learn how to do any everyday life skills such as cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, etc. sooner than later, if you haven’t already.

Lastly, just be kind to the students, staff, and everyone else. No one likes a bully or someone who thinks that they’re above others. 

One of my favorite pieces of advice was, “Be nice to the lunch ladies.” 

People like the lunch ladies, the custodians, and even the police officers on campus do so much for us and their work often goes unnoticed. 

The same advice goes for your teachers, especially if you need their help to pass. 

People often assume that the most important thing to help get them through high school is to be smart, or popular but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. You don’t have to be a genius, or super talented. Hard work and a kind heart will take you a long way.