Ten tips for tenth graders
- Get organized early and hit the ground running! It is often easier to earn higher grades earlier in the first semester between returning signed class rules and regulations, handing in your summer work on time, and
- Connect with teachers, counselors, and other staff members! It is never too early to start making solid connections with those who can write letters of recommendation for you. Those will become critical sooner than you think!
- Utilize the school’s resources! It may not be cool to stay in the cyber cafe during lunch or go to the library after school, but the high school offers state-of-the-art and facilities for you to do homework, get a project done, or ask librarians for research help, which will help alleviate stress and keep you productive!
- Get your own school supplies! Maybe you could devise a color-coded system or make another effective method of organization. Always know where your own pens and pencils are and make friends by loaning a pencil instead of borrowing one this year!
- Use and love your planner! The agenda book you were given on the first day of school contains a plethora of useful information— the bell schedule, the periodic table, important holidays, capitals, and more!
- Challenge yourself! Taking accelerated, Advanced Placement (AP) and Secondary Collegiate Articulated Learning Experience (SCALE) classes— and excelling in them—demonstrates ot colleges that you are a serious student with a passion for learning, leading to more acceptance letters come senior year.
- Get involved! The day does not end when ninth period ends—MHS offers more than 50 clubs for you to join! Take up a new hobby—perhaps kitting, car care, or the newspaper— or enhance your World Language skills by participating in the Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Chinese clubs.
- Be Proactive! Procrastination always causes more problems than it fixes. Don’t walk slowly in the hallway to get to class as late as possible, start that assignment early, and always keep an eye out for other events, responsibilities, and deadlines on the horizon!
- Ask for help! Everyone wants you to succeed, so know when you need help—it could save you a lot of stress and time!
- Enjoy it! High school flies by and, before you know it, you will be walking across the stage, diploma in hand!
