Tiffany Truoung ‘27

STAFF WRITER

Back to school is typically one of the most nerve-wracking events. You are embracing a new grade, possibly a new school, and new responsibilities. Many times, these new changes can be overwhelming and you might want to find answers to what you should do or not do in school. Instead of scrolling through Pinterest to find out what you should do or not do in school, you should read this column to find out!

Do: FOMO (fear of missing out) is a common fear among students. Teenagers and kids are afraid of missing out on trends, hangouts, and even responsibilities! (You don’t want to miss school or practices because it will catch up on you later.) This leads to our first do. For high school students, follow @longhorn_life_uhs on Instagram. On this account, you will be able to follow up on activities and events at Unionville. Now, you will have a connection with what is happening.

Next, join as many clubs as you can! Maybe don’t join every single club, but definitely join the ones you are interested in. In clubs, you are able to make new friends and have the same interests as them. You can find out about all the clubs at the high school on the website. Also, if you don’t find a club that has what you are looking for, make one! Either way, you will be able to have new experiences and build your college application. If you saw many summer posts this year, you will see many people are using digital cameras. Definitely, before your high school or middle school experience ends, buy a digital camera! Make new memories on it and you will be able to keep your digital photos on your phone. It will look like you are back in the 2010s.

Don’t: This is for all the high school and middle school students out there: don’t walk slowly in the hallways or have your friend group block the whole hallway. Hallway traffic is the worst and sometimes that causes people to be late for their classes. So, please reconsider your walking speed in hallways. Don’t think about college constantly and focus on being the best version of yourself. The college wants this; the college wants that. I can tell you right now that all of the overachievers are thinking about college nonstop. Personally, it’s not a bad thing until this obsession impacts your mental health or sleep schedule. Unless you are a senior or junior, you shouldn’t be so stressed about college. Focus on your mental health, physical health, classes, having fun with your friends, and enjoying your time in your extracurriculars. By setting up goals and being the best version of yourself, you will be set up for success. Finally, don’t be afraid to take a study hall. Unionville is filled with overachievers and we tend to submerge ourselves in extracurriculars and advanced classes. Specifically for people who barely have time outside of school to do homework, get yourself a study hall. There are a great deal of benefits when it comes to getting a study hall: you get to complete your homework, breathe before your next class, and study for your upcoming tests that day. These are not things you have to do; but coming from a high school student, it will make your school experience better.