Surviving High School: Tips and Resources to Help You Succeed
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Introduction
Surviving high school is an experience like no other. From school dances and millions of papers to navigating high school with social anxiety, there are tons of obstacles to overcome during four of some of the most important years in your life.
You might be wondering, “How can I survive high school without friends?” or, “Is high school scary?” Preparing for and dealing with it all can be stressful, which is why we’ve created a list of simple yet effective ways to survive high school!
Sometimes, it helps to know that you're not alone going into such a challenging time in your life.
Below are some helpful hacks and tips to help you navigate high school personally and academically, all while keeping your mental health a priority. Read on to learn how to:
How to take care of yourself and your mental health in high school
1. Prioritize your mental health. High school can be a pretty stressful time, and ensuring that you’re in your best health, mentally and physically, is so important! From extracurricular activities to maintaining friendships, and your studies, you have a lot on your plate.
Make sure that your mental health comes first! Do your best to check in with yourself and take a step back when you need to. Burnout is real, and you deserve to take all the time you need to bounce back and be an effective student.
2. Read self-help books. Self-help books can guide you toward your goals and inspire you to be who you are rather than who everyone else expects you to be.
You’ll also probably already have tons of reading assignments, but don’t deprive yourself of reading for leisure! Especially if it can help you be a more proactive learner and student.
Academic stress is a real thing, so take the necessary steps to make it easier on yourself.
3. Find an accountability partner in a friend. Finding a friend in high school that you can trust and feel comfortable around is tough, but it’s so worth it. It’s easy to feel like no one understands you or that nobody could possibly understand how you feel, but chances are, most people do!
Having a friend that can hold you accountable, do your homework with, and even just be a shoulder to cry on will make high school a bit easier.
Also, take advantage of the group activities and clubs that your school offers! You can find people that you relate to quicker and easier.
How to be productive in school
1. Use goal setting and productivity techniques. We know you want to be more productive. We do too. The only problem is that most goal-setting and productivity techniques out there are a little… boring. And the last thing you need right now is one more thing you aren't motivated to do!
So, we recommend using SMART Goal setting to take actionable and measurable steps to get to where you want to be. And, as you've probably heard a million times, goal setting is the only way to ensure that you're productive.
But, there are other productivity techniques that you can use to your benefit! Try the Pomodoro Technique for those shorter term, assignment specific goals!
2. Take care of your body inside and out. You’re not your best self when you’re hungry! Did you know that there are certain foods and snacks that can help you focus? Our bodies and our brains need fuel to stay active and on track.
That’s why sleep is also so important! It’s easy to want to stay up all night to finish a paper, but that actually does more damage than good at the end of the day.
A lack of sleep may be why you have certain test anxieties, nervousness, or just a lack of energy throughout the day.
Remember that you’re your biggest investment. Put yourself first!
If you’re not feeling your best, it’s okay to take a sick day to get back on track.
3. Change locations to help you stay motivated. It’s so important and worth it to switch up your homework routine. Try finding new places to do your homework. Even if a study spot worked great for you at the beginning of the school year, the same might not be true by the end of it.
A change in scenery can do wonders and has even been proven to boost productivity. Getting out in nature is one of the best ways to relax and take a load off.
Find time to get outside and study, read a book, finish an assignment, or even journal.
Grab a bench in the park, phone a friend, throw on your favorite playlist, and put in some work!
How to use great studying tactics to achieve greatness
1. Develop solid organizational habits. Staying organized and on top of your work in high school can be a challenge. Time management, organization, and discipline are all major habits and life skills that you must learn to be a successful student, and a successful human.
2. Enhance your studying skills. Notes after notes, readings and after readings. Sometimes it feels like studying is never ending! Studying is another skill that’s hard to perfect, but you don’t necessarily need to!
Find a tactic that works for you, and stick with it. Whether it’s making flashcards for a huge test or building an outline before writing an essay, we recommend exercising different studying strategies to see what fits you best!
This is also a great time to form a study group with your friends and fellow classmates. Studying is hard and requires a lot of discipline, so alleviate the stress by surrounding yourself with peers that are in the same boat as you!
How to use student resources to your advantage
1. Use tutoring services for extra help. A little extra help never hurt anybody! When it comes to learning styles, everyone is different. And, schools aren't able to fully accommodate each of these individual differences–that’s where a tutor becomes especially helpful.
There are many reasons why students benefit from tutors. Tutoring is so much more than just teaching the material needed for school. It’s about guiding you to learn in ways that are unique to your individual needs and to cultivate a better learning attitude!
Ask your teacher, principal, friends, and family about tutoring services! There are plenty of options–ranging from free to in-person. Take advantage!
2. Source free school supplies. Finding free supplies can be a great idea if you're looking to save money while stocking up or just starting out in your high school years. You don't have to break the bank in order to get high quality school supplies!
Look into the many ways you can get supplies for cheap, donated, or even through your own independently-owned supply drive!
3. Ask your loved ones questions. Have an open conversation! Talk with your older family members or even friends and family that have been through high school before what their experience was like.
There’s no doubt that they will tell you what they wished they knew before high school and what their favorite moment was! So, be prepared for some super nostalgic(and maybe boring) stories.
They might even lend you some guidance on how you can make the experience your own! Ask all of the questions you need to in order to feel as comfortable and prepared as possible.
Final Thoughts on Surviving High School
Now that you’ve read the guide, here are some key things to keep in mind:
This guide is meant to be comprehensive and accessible, meaning that it can be very general in nature while still being relevant to everybody.
Everyone's high school experience is slightly different, but I hope the survival guide can help you get through what you're experiencing. Just remember that high school doesn't last forever.
All of the suggestions presented above are meant to help you throughout your high school career, making the process easier and keeping you engaged in what is going on and what is being taught. Keep them in mind when you need some guidance or just for fun!
Still need help surviving high school? Take the time to do some personal research and find methods that may work better for you. Feeling encouraged and wanting to find ways to get a tutor? UPchieve’s got your back!