As the new school year approaches, upcoming freshmen may be growing anxious as they prepare to step foot onto a new campus. The stereotypes portrayed on TV make high school seem like a terrible place, when in reality, it’s not. The seniors won’t put your head in a toilet, and students don’t break out singing and dancing like in high school musical (most of the time). The following advice from a senior will make the overwhelming transition from middle school to high school a little smoother.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

If you are lost or it’s a day with a weird bell schedule, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help because the upperclassmen experienced the same confusion their freshman year. Administration is  everywhere in the courtyard, so they can also point you in the right direction to your next class.

Get started early

If you have an idea on what you want to do or what you want to study in the future, choose your classes based on that. Start those classes freshman year if you can because you may end up changing your mind based on how you like those classes, and it’s common to change your mind many times. By the time you graduate high school, you will at least know what you don’t want to do in the future. If you’re lucky, you will find something you are passionate about and want to follow.

Stay clear from building 1c 2^nd floor

With over 2,800 students attending the school, it is crowded in the hallways and outside the buildings in between classes. The hardest place to get through is outside building 1c 2^nd floor because of heavy foot traffic, so it is best to find an efficient route to your class without having to go through the sea of students in that particular area.

Friends will come and go

Through your four years of high school, you will lose friends from drama or because you simply drifted apart. Don’t dwell on it too much though, because you will meet amazing people as well.

The seniors are not evil monsters

Don’t believe the horror stories that all the upperclassmen are out to get freshmen. High school is nothing like the movies where freshmen get shoved in a locker by the “bad boy”.

Be quick

If you want to sit in the cafeteria for lunch, get there early because seats go by fast. Students are not allowed to sit in the hallways during lunch, and nobody wants to sit in the hot Florida weather while they eat. Students will get there quickly after the bell rings so they can eat lunch in the a/c.

Experience everything

Football games, pep rallies, and SGA Fun Fridays are just some of the events you should experience while in high school. It’s exciting to attend a few school events through the years because if you don’t, you may regret it senior year and wished you had gone to the wrestling match all your friends went to.

But don’t stress too much over little things as the school year starts, and remember freshmen have the first official school day to themselves on campus before the upperclassmen come, so there is time to adjust to new surroundings.