The senior editors of the Gleaner have been through a lot at Wahlert and have learned many lessons along the way. They wish they could give this advice to their past selves (especially some tips on how to take school pictures), but sadly they cannot. So, they’ve got a few things to help the underclassmen through their high school years. 

    No one gets to senior year on their own. The members of the class of 2018 have had help from just about every teacher, faculty member and student we’ve encountered in our time at Wahlert. Now, it’s our turn to give back to the community, even if it’s just our advice to get through the next few years.

    First of all, follow the basic rules of society. Walk on the right side of bridge, take care of your personal hygiene, use your “indoor” voice, et cetera. Underclassmen, you’re almost adults. Don’t make the seniors be the ones to tell you not to stand in the middle of the hallway.

    I get asked a lot for advice on how to do well in school and on standardized tests and my biggest piece of advice is not always a popular one: READ! Maybe you don’t enjoy reading for pleasure, but I promise that reading a few books a semester will help your scores improve.

    Don’t blow off your schoolwork. Trust me. When you get to senior year, you’ll regret that bad GPA from freshman year when it shows up on all your transcripts. That said, don’t worry about every failed quiz. One bad grade won’t ruin your life. Find the balance between working hard and being okay when you struggle.

    Build relationships with your teachers, even if they’re the cause of a few mental breakdowns a year. They’re there to help and some of them are pretty cool. Plus, it’s pretty nice to have a few friends on the other side when you need recommendation letters.

    Making friends is a huge part of high school, but don’t forget to get to know yourself. The earlier you can do that, the easier these four years will be. Your friends are important, but they shouldn’t define who you are.

    Wahlert has been around for quite some time, which means it has plenty of awesome traditions. Don’t be afraid to jump into them and just take a chance. Go on Kairos. Go to prom. Sit in the Nest. Wear that stupid outfit on a dress up day. Do you know the reason that seniors always seem way more outgoing than underclassmen? It’s because we don’t care what any of you think any more. If you can adopt that attitude early on, you’ll have a lot more fun.

    Finally, just do stuff. Ask any senior and they’ll tell you that their biggest regrets aren’t the things they did, but the things they didn’t do. Especially in your early years, get involved in anything that interests you. An extra meeting or practice isn’t much when you’re finding the things you’re really passionate about.

    Saying that high school goes so fast and you need to appreciate the time you have here is so cliche, so I won’t say it. But, it is and you should. Wahlert is a place unlike any other. Maybe, that’s a bad thing for some people, but we pretty much have it made here. Don’t take it for granted.