Entering your freshman year at Lexington High School can be an exciting yet overwhelming experience, especially when meeting new people and navigating new spaces. To help you ease into the new school year, here are a few tips to get through your freshman year and find a community at LHS:
Tip #1: Put yourself out there: When entering LHS, it might seem like a daunting task to find new friends in a sea of unknown faces. To get a head start, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to new people and initiate conversations with peers in your classes. You never know who you might connect with!
Tip #2: Join clubs and activities that you enjoy: Be on the lookout for the Activities Fair in late September to sign up for clubs you’re interested in. Joining extracurriculars that you are passionate about helps you connect with people who share the same interests. In addition, after-school activities can allow you to interact with upperclassmen, who can give you advice on how to thrive in high school. Freshman year is also the time to try out different activities, so don’t be afraid to try something you haven’t done before!
Tip #3: Make a study group: Though you may not expect it to be, studying with your friends is an excellent bonding activity. Schoolwork can quickly become overwhelming, so creating a study group with your classmates can be a productive use of time. Studying together allows you to have fun while reviewing any questions you have.
Tip #4: Bond with other students in your advisory: As a freshman, you will be spending a lot of time with the people in your advisory. Along with your advisory sessions, you will see them during your freshman history and English classes. Since they will be a source of consistency throughout your time at LHS, it’s important to get along with peers in your advisory and spend time together.
Tip #5: Expand your friend group: As you transition into high school, you may already have a well-established friend group. Don’t feel obliged to stay with your friends from middle school. High school is a time to explore and establish new friendships with people you haven’t had the chance to meet!
Tip #6: Figure out which friends have your lunches: As a freshman, the high school cafeteria can be a scary place. Therefore, you should coordinate with your friends ahead of time about where you want to meet for lunch, as it is always good to have a familiar face with you. However, if you don’t have any friends in your lunches, this is where Tips #1 and #4 come in handy. Feel free to sit with people from your homeroom or classes. Sitting with them during lunch is a great way to get to know them better.
Tip #7: Make sure to attend school social events: Although school dances can feel underwhelming at times, they are a fun way to hang out with your friends. You also get to spend time with your peers who you may not normally see outside of school. These events can also provide a valuable transition from being solely school friends to actively coordinating times to hang out outside of school.
Tip #8: Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for help: In addition to making friends, it is equally important to establish a relationship with your teachers. LHS faculty are super approachable and open to answering your questions. Establishing open communication with your teachers means you can let them know if you feel overwhelmed at any point which can improve your overall classroom experience.
Freshman year is meant to be enjoyable. Learning to find the balance between school and your social life is the key to having a successful first year at LHS, so make sure that you follow these tips and you will be all set!
