Being an underclassman can be very tricky, and it can feel like you are alone sometimes. But do not fear because the upperclassmen are here to help, and they have all been there before! The following upperclassmen have decided to share some advice for the underclassmen at Oliver Ames High School.

One common piece of advice would be to work hard your freshman and sophomore year. In doing so you will be setting yourself up for success in the future. Junior year can be a struggle but working hard to keep your GPA high is the way to success. 

“Try your best because your grades are very important to be able to get into college.” Senior Madisen Dykeman says, “Freshman year does count towards your GPA, so don’t slack off and take it seriously.”

Coming into high school as a freshman can be very stressful. A lot of people feel the need to breeze through it but if you do, it could lead you to a pile of stress and a low GPA.

“Make sure you try your freshman year, because if you don’t, it can tank your GPA,” junior Kate Vo says. 

Everyone talks about how hard Junior year is and they are right. Junior year is by far the hardest year because of school, social life, and worrying about college. Working hard your freshman and sophomore year will prepare you for Junior year, but it won’t make it easier.

“I would say that you should expect for your junior year to be difficult.” Junior Ryann MacKinlay says “but work through it so you can have an easier senior year. But make sure you have fun too. Make new friends and try to have new experiences”

Although it can be daunting to show up to school each day to fill your brain with more information, it goes by fast. Personally, these 4 years went by so fast and the one year I will always remember is Junior because of how hard it was. 

“Don’t rush growing up. If you are struggling, staying behind and slacking off isn’t the answer. Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for help and make sure to advocate for yourself,” senior Jessie Keane.