Advice for first time high school students
“Advice you can give to students just starting their high school career”


There are many advantages of going to high school and staying there for the full time that you should be there. At the same time there are many pitfalls and students can become confuse by the many decisions that we are forced to make. In most cases high school students want to make the best decisions about their future, and so it is important to learn of the various resources available to help make the right decisions as they will make an impact on life after high school.
There are many advantages of going to high school. High school will provide you with many opportunities that will help to develop life-long skills such as learning, social and mental development. High school helped me to lay down foundations for growth and development so that I can become a productive and good member of the community. The knowledge presented in high school can help build the necessary foundations for a career you may be interested in. Students can learn various subjects such as business, health, sciences, trades, skills and technology, all of which can be apply to knowledge needed for careers in these fields or other fields. Experiences in high school can also provide you with opportunities for career development. In high school students can meet partners in business, science, technology and other fields and they can learn about these careers and professions from experts in the field. In some high schools, experts come in on career day and talk to the students about the various careers and professions. I always love when they come in. These events can also help students to decide what careers they want to get into when the leave high school.
Another benefit is that going to high school helps students to build relationships with people such as teachers and other professionals in the fields already. When these professionals come in on career day, students can build professional relationships. You can get the experts as mentors and preceptors in the field. In high school you will also build relationships with each other and agree to go to college together. For me, I have very few friends that I can continue to be friendly with and hopefully go to college with. Some students would go to the same college and enter into the same or similar fields and in doing so long lasting friendly and work career relationships can be created. Another advantage in attending high school is that you get to learn about new methods and new technology in the workplace so that they can be more prepared when they leave school.
There are many resources in high schools that with help benefit students. High school will prepare students to make better decisions about careers and about colleges where they can advance and go into careers, or further studies that they may want to do. Sometimes, I am not sure what job or profession I want to do after I leave school. The guidance counselors in high school will hopefully help to guide and direct my career paths. Resources such as libraries, career centers, and academies like science academy or technology academy can help me to learn about these specific fields.  Schools have resources such as the internet that I can use to learn more about colleges and careers. There are also many resources such as books, brochures and pamphlets that will tell me about careers and colleges.

While there are many advantages of going to high school and many resources to guide you, there are just as many pitfalls that can be misleading and dangerous. The large amounts of decisions that confront students can be overwhelming. Students may find pressure to make decisions and may rush into making decisions that they are not comfortable making. You might also rush and make decisions to please your parents. Sometimes I feel like I am being rushed by my mother to make a decision, but I have to remind her that I need to make my mind up. Another pitfall is that students could just be following their friends. Peer pressure could push students to make the wrong decisions for college, or peer pressure may force students to drop out of school. In high school you cannot cave into peer pressure. I had to make a personal decision for myself. High school students must be strong and make decisions best for themselves and their families. Another pitfall in high school is that students may become overwhelm by the many resources offered in school and that may result in the student not making the best and most timely decision.
	To help with the pitfall that may occur in high school, I need to remain positive and seek the resources that will help me to do well and stay in school. Students should go to school and learn the school work. You should also do your homework and ask for help when needed. Students should go to their guidance counselors, or their teachers for additional help when necessary. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable asking for help. You need learn important skills like asking for help, talking with the teachers, being responsible and respecting to the teachers. These simple skills can help you to stay in school, do assignments and home work so you can get good grades, a good grade point average and meet all graduation requirements.
	You should stay in school, so that you can graduate with good grades and then go on to further your education. Failure to remain in high school will result in poor grades, poor skills. If this happens, you will not get good grades, skills or knowledge that will help you to become a good person in the community. Therefore it is important to stay in school, use the resources, avoid the pitfalls and make the best decisions to stay in school.