High School Tips + What I’m Wearing to Graduation and my Future Plans!

Since I am graduating high school this year (2017), I am giving my top 17 tips to getting the best high school experience! Also, my graduation pics and outfit details are all below followed by my future plans!

1. Be prepared for life as you know it to change

What I mean is you will experience loss of past relationships, loss of time, and loss of sleep.

But you will gain relationships, experiences that change your life, and you will hopefully find your passion in those 4 years like I did.

2. Your GPA starts the second you step in

Or before if your middle school offers algebra one like mine did. So don’t slack off your freshman year because it WILL impact your GPA

3. Take AP classes

I don’t know if it’s like this at every school, but at mine AP classes are worth 5 points towards your GPA instead of the regular 4. What this means is that an A in an Advanced Placement Course can be a major GPA booster. This also means that an AP B is equal value as an A in a normal level class, so making lower grades in an AP course actually won’t kill you.

4. Take the AP exams

For whatever reason, AP exams are not mandatory. How ever, you should take them because for most colleges, just passing (getting a three or more out of five) will get you college credit. Some colleges require 5s, and others, like private schools, may not give credit at all.

Another reason to take the exams is that they do not affect your average in the class. They’re not like final exams that count 20% of your grade, they do not impact it.

The AP test grading scale is largely curve. A 70% most of the time equals a 5 (the highest score), a 65% a 4, and a 60% a 3. (From what I’ve been taught).

5. Don’t take both the SAT and the ACT if one score is already good

Most colleges now days don’t require both, they just take your highest score (so always retake if you’re not satisfied), but make sure you follow the requirements for the college you hope to attend.

6. Be as involved as possible.

I participated in HOSA, National Honor Society, anchor club, tennis, and cheerleading- being active looks good for colleges and allows you to build relationships and gain life changing experiences

All of these clubs require volunteering- which also looks great for college and can be an eye opening experience that changes your perspective on life

7. Stay away from partying

Parties may sound like a fun idea but always be careful because there are many risks. If caught doing illegal things at these parties, scholarships and college admissions can be taken away. Also, parties with things like this involved can be dangerous.

8. Do the reading assignments and the homework BEFORE you go to school that day

I know the assignments will pile up, trust me. But you will feel so much more confident and stress free if you have your work done on time.

9. Stay away from online classes

I, personally, I think they are dreadful and cannot learn from them and I am not motivated to do my work whenever my teacher is not in the classroom.

10. Be school spirited

Go to the football games, participate in spirit week, don’t skip the pep rally’s, I promise that it will give you the best high school experience if you participate in all of these school spirited events.

11. Participate in camps and programs that you’re interested in- just take the chance

The STEP program I attended at NC State University (I will link the blog post all about it here) is what really opened my eyes to what I want to do with my life and I don’t know where I would be without that experience

12. Take classes you’re interested in and follow your passions

If you like art, take art class. Take every level of art class that you can if it’s something that you love. If it’s what you want to do with your life, having more classes in your passion will look better to college then taking more AP classes that do not relate to your career/life plans- and I wish that someone had told me that. This semester I chose four AP classes over apparel- and I regret that decision.

13. Don’t bother with a Locker:

At least at my school, we only have 5 minutes in between classes and our school has two different buildings and a total of four different floors- no time for a locker. As much as you’d hope that you’re classes will be near each other, they probably won’t be. I never had a locker all four years and I survived carrying my books just fine!

14. Get and L. L. Bean book bag:

L. L. Bean has lifetime warranty on all their products, which means that if it breaks they will replace it! Also, get the traditional book bag style and don’t do the cross body satchel or anything like that. I had one of those from Vera Bradley my freshman year and I just could not fit all my books!

15. Don’t drop a class just because the teachers hard:

My favorite teacher I ever had was the hardest teacher I ever had. I struggled the most in his class but also learned the most in his class. He was the best teacher I had throughout high school and has taught me more than any of the others. I truly feel like I have an advantage from taking all of his classes and am so thankful I did not drop just to take the easy way out.

16. Get to school ON TIME and DON’T SKIP!

Some teachers are really strict about the tardy bell. This year my first period teacher was and it was the first time I had a first period teacher that actually enforced the tardy rules. I have issues waking up on time so this became an issue for me. The rule at my school is:

1 tardy- warning

2 tardies- 15 minute detention

3 tardies- 30 minute detention

4 tardies- lunch period detention

5 tardies- ISS during the class period

6 tardies- Full day of ISS

7 tardies- Parking pads taken away

Somehow I managed to only get 4 tardies and only have to serve lunch detention, but trust me, getting to school on time is important and makes your whole day go better

I have some friends that skipped excessively. At our school, you are allowed 5 absences in each class period before you owe time. If you owe time, you have to make it up by volunteering before a certain time or else you can’t go to prom or walk at your graduation ceremony if you’re a senior. Seeing my friends struggle to make up the time and worrying over doctors notes trying to be allowed to participate in graduation showed me that skipping class is not worth the make up class work and make up time that comes with it.

17. Make the most of your high school experience and especially your senior year:

Hang out with friends when invited, go to prom, skip with friends on senior skip day, walk at your elementary school in your gown with the others in your senior class, take every opportunity you’re given. Once high school is over- it’s over. Make the most of your experience while you can.

Graduation:

To graduation on June 10th I am wearing this Lilly Pulitzer shift dress in the print Barefoot Princess! I bought it on Poshmark so it is no longer in stock, but I have linked similar dresses below as well as the shoes I plan on wearing! I will also be wearing the pearl bracelet from Prep Obsessed that you see photographed below!

Future Plans:

This fall I will be attending NC State University and majoring in Fashion Textile Management at their Textile college. I hope to get a job as something like a buyer or sales representative or trend forecaster- something that the major is intended for. I also plan to grow my blog in the next few years so I’m given more job opportunities with other brands through this platform. In the long term, I may want to open a boutique or something like that.

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