Many students are gearing up to begin their first year of high school, one of the biggest transitions students will make during their academic career. Going to high school means a lot of things, including starting at a new campus, meeting new classmates, and adjusting to a heavier workload. However, starting high school can be a smooth and successful transition when students have the right amount of support.
More homework
One of the first things students will notice is they have considerably more homework than they did as a middle school or junior high student. In many cases, classroom teachers will expect students to come to class having already read a larger amount of text or chapters in order to discuss that day’s lecture, and students can miss out if they’re not prepared. In addition, teachers will assign some projects that are due within a short period of time, a day or two for example, and other assignments that students might have up to a month to complete. This will require better and more efficient time management on the part of the student.
Greater freedom
As soon as high school starts, students will have greater freedom. They will get to choose elective classes and think about which extracurriculars interest them. Making academic choices will help students prepare for their transition to the college environment, where they will get to choose a great number of classes as well as their major field of study. However, more freedom comes with more responsibility and organization for the student.
Looking towards the future
Although the 9th grade is mostly reserved for students to adjust to the high school environment, many students will start looking towards the future. They will have an opportunity to sign up for honors courses, think about visiting college campuses, and imagine what career they might like to have. The most important thing, however, for a high school student in their first year is to build a strong foundation and make sure their study habits are appropriate for their grade level.
Social adjustments
High school also brings a number of social adjustments, which can be good, bad, or in between. Students will have an opportunity to make new friends and reinvent themselves but they will also have more distractions from their academic work. Navigating this transition can run more smoothly when students have the help of a study skills tutor or a subject tutor that can help them with those one or two classes they find the most challenging.
