The transition between middle school and high school is an exciting time, and a stressful one for many students. There are conflicting reports and expectations of what high school will require, and what you should do to be ready for it. This uncertainty is what causes students the most stress, and what leads to them being nervous about the beginning of high school.
In this article, we’ll cover what the transition to high school actually entails, and how you can be ready for it. We’ll go over what differences you can expect, and how the experience may be similar to what you’ve seen already. Finally, we’ll tell you the tricks you need to know to make the most of your time in high school. Let’s get started!
How High School is Different
How much your high school will differ from your middle school depends almost entirely on which middle and high schools you go to. There are many ways of doing things, and each school has their own quirks. That said, there are some features shared by most schools, so we will go over those to give you general advice on what to expect from this transition.
Elective Classes
You will have some ability to choose your own classes in high school, with ever more choice as you advance in grades. There are still some classes you have to take, but unlike middle school you will be able to begin focusing on the subjects you actually want to explore in more detail. For more advice on finding the best classes to meet your needs, see our article on course selection.
Honors Classes
This one depends on school, some have honors options beginning in middle school, others only begin honors coursework in high school. We recommend taking as many honors classes as you are able to handle to begin preparing for college coursework, since colleges like to see that you have succeeded when challenging yourself academically. See our article on high school classes, and our guide to AP classes for advice on those specifically.
Grades
We mentioned this a bit in previous sections, but high school grades matter for college admissions, even in freshman year. We don’t want you to feel undue stress, but it is something to keep in mind. A single B won’t sink you, especially freshman year, but you will need to pay more attention to your academics than you have previously. See our article on what colleges want from your grades for more information.
Extracurriculars
High school is when you can start delving deeper into activities you care about outside of the classroom, and experimenting to find your passions. Some students already have deep passions in middle school, but it’s ok if you don’t; high school is a time to explore who you are through extracurriculars, and to discover where your own passions lie. See our article on extracurriculars for more advice.
Size
High schools generally have far larger populations than middle or elementary schools. While class sizes are similar, the total number of students in the school is often greater, though this does vary a lot depending on the school you are attending. Public schools are generally larger than private ones. This can be a culture shock for some students, but also gives you more opportunities to connect with and learn from other students.
How High School is the Same
While there are major differences you will experience when you begin high school, things are also often largely the same. You will take the same number of classes each day, still have homework (though there will be more of it), and will have around the same number of students in each class. In terms of the general shape of your schooling experience, you can expect high school to be much the same as middle school.
This is not the case if you are undergoing a major transition, such as attending a specialized magnet school, moving from a public to a private school, or vice versa. If you are staying in the same style of school, you can expect major similarities between what you have gotten used to, and what you can expect. Generally, each day will be quite similar to the one before it, until you look back, and are amazed at how far you’ve come, in what feels like no time at all.
How you can Prepare for High School
While schools try to make the transition as smooth as possible, it can still be rocky for some students. In this section, we’ll give you our advice for how you can best prepare for the transition now, and what concrete steps you can take to ensure that your time in high school is all that it can be.
Have a Plan
This is the simplest advice to give, but can be difficult to follow through with. That said, having a plan for what you will do in high school is one of the best ways you can prepare. We help our students build these plans, and follow these steps to do it:
- Coursework planning. You can plan out your whole high school schedule before you start as a freshman. While this can and will be updated over time, having a base plan to work from makes future planning far less stressful.
- Extracurricular exploration. Have a plan for further exploring what you’re passionate about through your extracurriculars, or for finding what you’re passionate about.
- Decide which clubs look interesting enough to join. You should pick one or two activities to focus on, but can spend some time freshman year finding out which activities suit you best.
This plan is not set in stone, and can and should change as you further grow and explore throughout high school. That said, having a plan as general guidelines to follow lets you know what goals to focus on, and gives you some metric by which to make sure you’re on track.
Learn Time Management
Between school, homework, activities, friends, sleep, and the hundreds of other demands on your time, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Learning how to manage your time now will save you stress later, as you are better able to balance the demands upon you, while still carving out time to enjoy yourself.
We have an article exploring time management strategies, so we won’t delve in depth here. We do want to point out that managing your time is a habit like any other, and the sooner you begin practicing good habits here, the sooner you will see results. We recommend experimenting with this during your freshman year, when your academic and extracurricular demands are lighter, and you have more room in your schedule to set aside.
Master Studying
Just like time management, studying is a skill, one which can be learned or improved through practice. You may or may not have had to study in middle school, but chances are you will need to in high school; if not immediately than eventually. It is much better to master the skill of studying early, when the stakes are lower, than to need it and not have it later in your educational career.
We have an article detailing several study methods, but note that what works well for your friends may not also work for you. Every student is different, and you should experiment with different methods to find the one which works best for you.
Remember to Breathe
At the end of everything, remember to breathe, and take time for yourself to relax. You don’t need to fill every waking minute with studying or activities, and you don’t need to be the master of everything immediately. It’s ok to take time to relax and explore, and to take breaks to simply exist in the moment.
Of course, you will have work to do, dreams to chase, and experiences to remember, but if you find yourself getting too stressed out, or feel overwhelmed, remind yourself to step back for a moment and breathe. Burning yourself out in high school does no good for anybody, least of all you.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this article has given you the information you need to smooth your transition from middle to high school, and enables you to take control of the process. What you do in high school matters, both in and of itself, and for your future college plans.
We understand that this transition is a stressful time, and can feel like a lot to manage on your own. If you want help navigating the high school transition, choosing the right high school, or to hear how else we can help you, schedule a free consultation today. We have a long experience helping students like you, and are always happy to assist.
