Advice for Incoming Freshman

Article crafted/written by: Viking PR News Division (Jade Misner, Jordan Hamm, Layla Perkins, Seth Scott, James Wright)

On your first day at Rowan County Senior High School, you may have been extremely disappointed to realize no one had broken out into song by the time the school day ended. In all honesty, I know I was a little disappointed to find out that the High School Musical franchise had lied to me. In reality, high school is barely anything like the movies play it out to be, and whether you're disappointed or grateful for that, you still need to be prepared for what’ll go down your freshman year. We’ll be following the three R’s of RCSHS- So, here’s how to be respectful, responsible, and ready to learn during your first year of high school!

Let’s start off strong with respect. Respect is something that you’ll need to learn if you want to get through high school. Whether it be your peers, teachers, or really just anyone in general. Respect is an extremely important thing to remember. The first rule of respect is pretty basic: Treat others how you want to be treated. For example; If you wouldn’t want someone saying things about you behind your back, then don't do it to them. What goes around comes back around, as they say. It’ll just start unnecessary drama, which will stress you out more than school work ever will- especially if you’ve got drama piled on top of schoolwork. Trust me, it’s not fun! Another big part of respect at RCSHS is really just minding your own business. If someone is different from you, that’s okay! Unless it’s directly affecting you, it’s not okay to get up in someone else’s business to make fun of or disrespect them. If someone does something that is affecting you negatively, talk to an adult you trust about the situation, or go to Mrs. Elam or Mrs. Gussler in the guidance office. They will be able to help you with anything you need.

Second up, we’ve got responsibility. We’ll cover having your pencils, papers, and all that jazz in ready to learn, but in responsibility we’re focusing on personal responsibility. We want your experience at RCSHS to be the best possible, but you also have to take some responsibility in that. Let's get right to the point- it is your responsibility to stay out of drama. Like I said earlier, drama can genuinely wreck your entire year! Getting used to a new environment is tough in itself, leaving all of the enemies and bad vibes at home, or at your old school. I know it's easier said than done, but it's extremely important to be mentally prepared. Another big part of personal responsibility is hygiene. Hygiene is so, so important. I completely understand that times can be tough, and the motivation just may not be there; but it's important for you to take responsibility and take care of yourself. It may seem hard but a simple shower will make you feel a million times better. If you're having trouble with water or proper hygiene products, let a teacher you trust know! They can send you to the right place, and save you a ton of possible embarrassment. - get you the resources that you need!

Finally, the (arguably) easiest R of all: ready to learn. Being ready to learn is probably the most important thing about high school. Ready to learn means lots of different things, such as making sure you're paying attention, taking notes as needed, or simply just bringing a pencil or pen to class. Most teachers only require the bare minimum: a writing utensil and a piece of paper. Even if you don't have that (which is alright, we all have our slip ups!) a teacher or a classmate would be glad to help! Another way to be ready to learn is to make sure you're taking care of yourself mentally. Getting enough sleep, eating well, and taking time for yourself is incredibly important. Think of your brain as a muscle, and think of all of those actions as stretches. Learning is a workout for your brain, and if you don't stretch before you workout, you could really hurt yourself or your brain.

That's all, folks! I hope this post helped you even just the tiniest bit with getting familiar with the three R’s of RCSHS, and learning how to apply them in your school life! It's completely normal to be anxious about your first year of high school. However, you are not alone on this journey! One thing High School Musical did not lie about is that we’re all in this together. Remember to be respectful, responsible, and ready to learn; It’s a great day to be a viking!