Back to School Tips

Miss me? I had a fabulous summer of sunbathing, camping, and sitting by campfires. But, say goodbye to summer as a new year of school rolls around. With the past year spent mostly hybrid, high schoolers are finally getting back into the swing of waking up and getting dressed. Every. Single. Morning. But, never fear, Hilly is here to make your transition back into full time high school easier with some super reliable and useful tips.

1. Utilize the main staircase! I can guarantee you that the main staircase is the quickest way between floors and is NEVER crowded. Use the main staircase to quickly move from the 200s to the 400s to the 700s––since it is the biggest staircase, traffic flows quickly and smoothly. Students attempting to get from the 400s to the 450s or 600s absolutely love navigating through the mass of teenagers with massive backpacks. The extensive five-minute passing period allows for plenty of time to dawdle around the main staircase.

2. Speaking of backpacks, find the biggest one you can! Considering the amount of school supplies you have to carry around on a daily basis, the bigger the backpack the better. There is an excessive amount of space in the Needham High hallways and staircases, so there truly is no harm in getting a big backpack. You most definitely will not get in anyone’s way or get your bag stuck on anything. Also, the more keychains the better! Other high schoolers looove hearing the jingle of keychains as a straggler passes by a classroom taking a test.

3. Wear your masks below your nose. It doesn't get more attractive than that. If you have your mask below your nose, every single high schooler will know that you’re cool. It is so cool to expose others to your germs during a global pandemic! I understand that the effort of pulling it another inch over your nose is simply too much for a high schooler to handle. So, if you simply can’t handle wearing your mask properly, it is really no stress at all.

4. Don’t bring a water bottle to school. They’re heavy and make really loud noises when they are inevitably knocked off the desk. It is much better to make 3-4 trips to the high school’s immaculate water fountains per class to stay hydrated. Hydration IS incredibly important, though! If you are going to bring a water bottle to school, make sure you share it with everybody. As I previously mentioned, we are in a global pandemic, but hydration is far more important. If one of your friends seems to be thirsty but did not bring their own water bottle, you should share with them.

5. And finally, DO NOT FILL OUT YOUR HEALTH ATTESTATION. I’m sure you’ve all heard Mr. Sicotte announce that you must fill it out every morning. But, ignore him! While he wants you to all fill it out in order for you to no longer have to wear masks, I’m pretty sure none of you want masks to go away. Without masks, how will the cool be divided from the uncool? How else will social status be established without the clear differentiation of those who properly wear their masks and those who don’t?

So now, you all have five solid tips to survive this full year of high school, complete with school days stretching from 8 am to 2:35 pm, a rude awakening from last year’s Monday, Wednesday, and Friday half days. If you listen to my suggestions, the 2021-2022 school year should be a breeze.