Juniors

Juniors! You’re officially the second biggest fish in the pond—but don’t let that go to your head, because you still have a long road ahead of you. 

It’s going to be a weird time, filled with stress about your classes while caught in the middle of weird transitions in school and life. 

Find a comfort food, and practice being exhausted all the time. Please go off campus during lunch, even just 30 minutes away from Wilson can be a surprisingly well needed break from the building and the people. 

Find a workload balance, and go to bed when you know that the paper you’re writing sounds like a third grader. 

Respect your teachers, and communicate with them (this is a win-win for everyone). Lay the groundwork for college applications early, and maybe order that AP or SAT book on Amazon tonight. 

All seriousness aside, junior year will fly by and you want to enjoy as much of it as you can!

Sophomores

1. Eat some breakfast, you won’t regret it.
2. Just because you have two days to do your homework doesn’t mean you should wait until the night before. One slip and you make a bad habit for the rest of the year, believe me!
3. Knock out the rest of your elective credits! You really don’t want to be that one senior in general music or gym.
4. You have plenty of days to have lunch with your friends. I know it feels like you absolutely have to every single day, but you don’t. See your teachers, and use the opportunity to finish work.
5. You’re two weeks into sophomore year. You still don’t really have the authority to bully the freshmen like you think you do. Wait a couple advisories at least.
6. Your life will not end if you don’t take three APs. You will probably end up with a lower GPA and more stress than if you take one or two.
7. Stop sitting on the senior steps. You’re being so disrespectful. 
8. You’re in between significant years, take some fun electives while you still can, and try to make the most of every opportunity!

Freshmen

Freshman year can be stressful and a large adjustment, but also enjoyable. I quickly learned that one of the best ways to join our community is to engage.

 Join clubs, try out for teams, and enjoy your classes. Wilson has it all and is offering every opportunity to you. Another key to enjoying freshman year is to bond with your teachers—they care and want to see you succeed. The relationships I have created with my teachers since freshman year are invaluable. 

Make sure to keep all of your work. Holding on to your notes, warm-ups, and exit tickets may seem frivolous, but all of that material will be on your midterms and finals, and will benefit you in the long run.

 As the year progresses, it’s important to continue to check Aspen and keep up on all of your work, in class and at home. Utilize the knowledge of the people that were here before you; you’re not navigating high school alone, and as the year progresses, it’ll be easier to see that.