Alex's declassified school survival guide (wohohohohh)

High school is a very complex time for all students to go through. For some people it's the grades, for some it's fitting in, and others it's finding time to balance out of school events while not having a mental break down. Few can say that they have mastered the techniques of surving high school, and I am definitely not one of those people. I can, though, help give some tips and tricks to survive the rough years of high school. 

  

 Step one. Do your work. This may sound like a simple and obvious tip, but it is surprising how much doing your work work will help you succeed. This doesn't mean just the required work, even the practice ones. The more you practice, the better you get. Sometimes, doing the extra work will help things click in your head. If you still don't understand, then you might want to move to the next step. 

  

 Step two. Ask. You would not believe how many people might have the same question as you. You may be afraid to ask the question because you think people will make fun of you, but chances are someone else has the same exact question. The teacher is there for a reason. If you are really to uncomfortable to ask during school, stay after and ask the teacher. Sometimes one on one help can make the difference. 

  Step three. Plan ahead. I know it is fun to hang out with your friends and watch tv, but sometimes a little bit of planning out your schedule around homework will make life much easier. True, it isn't super cool to tell your friends to wait an hour while you do homework, but then you don't have to waste your precious sleeping time writing 12 pages on The Kite runner. Also, another option is to start a study group where you get some buddies together, get your homework done, and then hang out.

 My last step is step 4. Enjoy the experience. People make high school out to be the worst experience to ever happen, but in reality, this could be one of the best parts of your life, all depending on how you go about it. Life is all about perspective, and you are the person who chooses how to live their life. Don't look at this time of your life as a bad time, stuck going to lame school, but rather a time for new experiences which learning will help you with your later life.

 

 These tips, although simple and kind of lame, are what have made these past years of high school a great experience for me and have helped me succeed enough to get by and be happy. All in all, just try your best and you will survive the high school experience.