As we start the new school year, we start to get back into the school mindset. We have to start to go to bed earlier even though we still have homework to do, set at least five alarms just to get out of bed, and regain our work ethic so we won’t fall behind. Although returning students know exactly what is expected of them, freshmen don’t. So to get the newbies on the right track, I have interviewed some 9th-grade teachers to give advice that may help with some potential struggling or confusion.

When asked what her expectations were for her freshman students, Mrs. Elliot (9th-grade Algebra teacher) responded that students should walk into class ready to learn. Whether it’s preparing your supplies the night before or just eating breakfast in the morning could affect your performance in school greatly. She also states that she expects her pupils to have a positive attitude, just reading an inspirational quote every day could make you think more positively throughout your day. A final response to the question is from Mr. Reagan, he says that he expects excellence. To elaborate on that, because he didn’t and ironically he expects me to in my AP Human Geography homework, he expects only the best of you. In whatever class or subject, putting your all into assignments, homework, tests, and studying is the thing that will get you better grades and more respect from your teachers.

Another concern that floats in my mind is that students have already started to let their grades slip, so I whipped up another question concerning this problem. My question was: What is the hardest part about maintaining good grades and why do you think students fail to do this so early into the year? Mrs. Moore (English 1 teacher) replied with, “Well, now that students are in high school, things might get a little more hectic because now kids have more things to cover and more responsibilities. Especially with things like homework, extracurricular activities, and things outside of school, it’s really easy for students to forget or to not put a lot of effort into schoolwork.” She also said another part of it could be ignorance, sometimes we will be overwhelmed or tired and we don’t want to do our work. While this is understandable, students need to realize that this will be common in their high school years and that it’s easier if you do your work the day it’s assigned. Also creating a good work habit could help you more than you will ever know, being organized and on top of your work is the key to succeeding in high school (along with actually doing well in your classes).

Lastly, to ensure that freshmen get the best out of this article, I asked teachers what advice they would give to freshmen regarding anything they will face in their high school years. Mrs. Moore says, “Make friends, school is not just about academics. Surrounding yourself with a group you can abide in is also important because they can help you and support you in your high school life.” Mrs. Elliot responded with, ” I encourage students to get involved, something that most people regret when they leave high school is that they wish they got more involved. So make sure that you don’t make the same mistake, investing your time in something could help, inspire and motivate you. So don’t hesitate to try something new whether if it is a sport, elective, language, or club, just do it.” And Mr. Reagan says, “I think my advice would be just to try your best and learn from your mistakes.” (Again his brevity is so ironic to the AP responses he makes us do)

In this article, I hoped that I helped in some way by asking some of the freshman teachers questions that I think would help freshmen see what their teachers expect from them. High school is a big transition and I think that students need to know these things before they develop bad habits and even worse work ethic skills. So I hope this enlightened freshman of the expectations that they have, why students slip up, how to avoid it, and some advice that might be helpful to you. I hope you enjoyed this article and I hoped you learned something new and I wish that your high school years are filled with success and accolades from your hard work.