The Freshman Experience

Incoming freshmen, soon you will no longer be cougars or panthers, but instead, Brahmas. I know high school arrived so fast, and you’re all probably worried about grades, friends, and what to do. To be honest, my freshman year was a blast and it passed by in a blink of an eye. In order to give you all a head start, here is some advice!

Make New Friends (including upperclassmen)

Okay, I’m not telling you to ditch your middle school friends, but try exposing yourself to new people. It doesn’t hurt to have a couple of new friends to lean on. However, don’t limit yourself to making friends with only freshmen. Make friends with your upperclassmen too. They can help you find your way through DBHS, whether it’s about grades, clubs, classes, and more. Always smile and try to approach them first. You should be extra friendly!

Get Free Tutoring

Whether you’re worried about an upcoming test, assignment, or homework, don’t hesitate to get the extra help you need. DBHS offers free tutoring programs afterschool hosted by CSF student tutors, so make sure you know which classroom to go to when you need help. I sometimes attend the tutoring programs right before my math tests to help review. Even if the student tutors might not know the answers, there’s always a teacher willing to help as well.

Find Your Club

There are only two club fairs at DBHS for freshmen; one during the beginning of the school year and one in the middle of the year. I recommend you join at least one club because it’s always good to have a head start. You can start building up social skills and relationships with your club members, which can help you make your way up to officer positions. In order to be an officer, you must have leadership qualities, passion, and teamwork skills; something all colleges look for in students. There are more than 70 clubs to join on campus including volunteering, charity, debating, and art. Just don’t enroll in too many; choose your top three and go with it.

Have Good Classmate Buddies

I have friends and I also have class buddies. Class buddies are more important than you may think; they can help you if you missed any homework or if you didn’t quite understand a lesson in class. Make sure you know who can help you when you need it, but you should be ready to help them when they’re in need too.

Manage your time wisely

I will be honest with you, I always procrastinate. Sometimes I sleep at 4 a.m. because I start a project too late. Make sure to be organized; always write down the due dates of every project on a calendar. Also, try finishing your daily homework as soon as possible, so that you will have time to work on your projects or practice sports. Because I am part of journalism, the golf team, and multiple volunteer clubs, I find myself always stressing out due to the work load. However, with good time management skills, anything is possible.