Students at Eureka know that this is a stressful time, especially for the incoming freshman who might not be as comfortable with this transition. Over 25 students gave their best advice or something they wish they would’ve known going into their freshman year, to the Class of 2024. 

“Talk to new people, branch out, and be confident! Don’t be scared to ask a teacher/upperclassmen for help, everyone is super nice and welcoming and happy to help!… Another thing I did was have a screenshot of my schedule on my phone or make it my screensaver for the first week or so until I had it down.” – Abby Holt (10).

“I would take a picture of the map of the school for the first week, and set your schedule as your lock screen. That’s the best advice I have.” – Lucy Baker (10). 

“I would always recommend them to do an extracurricular activity, it makes high school so much more fun.” – Kevin Emmanuel (10).

“Don’t be afraid to try new things and try to meet as many new people that you can.” – Andrew Hesman (10).

“I highly recommend you get involved and meet new people. I recommend Onstage! because I had a wonderful year meeting new people and making great, lifelong friends.” – Carson Koenig (10). 

“What they say about the upperclassmen not being as scary or ‘I hate freshmen’ stereotype that you think, isn’t totally true. All they want to do is help you.” – Nina Gomez (10).

“Don’t be afraid to ask older students for directions to your class or anything else because they were all in the same position at one point.” – Maison Stanley (10).

“Be open to new things, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and to just get involved.” – Clayton Canby (10).

“I wish I would’ve known that I shouldn’t have been as nervous or stressed when it came to coming to a big, new high school. It can be intimidating, Eureka is such a fun place and everyone will eventually find their own group and place within the high school itself.” – Josh Weston (10). 

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help in class, your teachers are there to help you! If you don’t know where a class is on the first day, don’t be afraid to ask anyone! Also, get involved no matter what it is because you meet a lot of new people that way. Take everything in because the 4 years go by way faster than you think.” – Madison Scheer (11).

“I would say that when everyone tells you [these] 4 years go by fast that they actually do… Go out, support the community, be active with the school, do as much as you can, and do your best in academics and sports cause all of that stuff really matters towards a bright future.” – Jonas Lovett (11).

“I would just definitely recommend to join some type of club or sport and get involved. You get to know tons of people much quicker by doing so. Going to other events that don’t always have to be your sport or your club… whether it’s to watch and support or you’re looking into joining that.” – Ali Phillips (11).

“Try your best to be in a group and get involved with the school. Also, you’re only in high school once so make the best of it.” – Matteo Grassi (11).

“Some advice I have for the freshman is to just come in with an open mind. High school isn’t like the movies; it’s fun and exciting, but it’s also challenging and hard at some times. Coming in with an open mind will help you acclimate to the new environment, make new friends, and genuinely enjoy your first year. I wish I could’ve been told to not care what others think; whether that be what I would wear, who I would hang out with, etc. Life would have been so much easier if I just lived for me. Be yourself, and live for you and not for anyone else.” – MaryKate Griffin (11).

“I think the biggest thing I would say to the freshmen is try and not get too anxious or nervous about anything because the teachers are all really good about helping freshmen out with things like being tardy to class, because it’s a big change from middle school to high school. Everyone should be involved in a sport or club because it’s a great way to meet people who have similar interests.” – Mason Mayer (11).

“Ask questions if you have them, don’t be scared to talk to teachers and older students because most can and will help you. Get involved in something at the school whether it’s sports or clubs as they’re a huge help in finding friends with similar interests.” – Ryan Bridwell (12).

“Some advice that I would give the freshmen is don’t be scared to reach out of your comfort zone and meet new people and do new things. I wish I would’ve known as a freshman that participating in activities isn’t weird at all like how it was in middle school because I was scared of getting made fun of by joining things.” – Drew Derickson (12).

“I would give the advice to get involved whether that’s through sports or other clubs and activities or whatever. It definitely helped my freshman year with making new friends and feeling like a part of the Eureka community. I would recommend the student council and getting involved in sports. I wish someone would’ve told me how fast it all goes by.” – Harper Lashley (12). 

“I would say one thing I was told going into my freshman year that I still use to this day is to be confident in everything you do. Going into a new school can feel daunting, but if you go into it with confidence then it makes it a lot easier.” – Charly Dubroc (12).

“Some advice I’d give is to never be scared to ask someone a question like where to find a class, etc. because we will always help them…getting into clubs is a great way to make new friends and find something you’re really interested in.” – Elise Courtois (12).

“I would tell them that they should find out where their classes are beforehand. I remember the most stressful thing my first days at school was trying to find out where to go…I’d try to find a map if they could. I’d also say to try out for as many sports because it doesn’t really matter if you get cut your freshman year nobody is going to remember. It helps you get a lot more friends.” – Trace Ruckman (12).

“I would definitely recommend that they introduce themselves to their teachers and really try to get to know them as more than just their teacher… As a senior, I can still walk through the halls and wave to my freshman teachers.” – Morgan Brown (12).

“I wish I could have appreciated each day… I always would stare at the clock waiting for it to ring and now I wish so bad that I could go back and just relive some of those memories. Really think about your grades, they will catch up to you and matter in the long run.” – Audrey Cossins (12).

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions… I would recommend joining [an extracurricular] that you enjoy.” – Carter Davis (12).

“Eureka is not just a community and a family, but a safe space. Some advice I would give is to get involved! I didn’t start getting involved with school activities until junior year and I wish I started sooner.” – Emma Harris (12).

“I wish freshman year I would’ve been told to relax and enjoy the ride. It’s really easy to get caught up in the friendships, grades, and other traditional high school things… I wish I would’ve enjoyed every setback and success I had.” – Kate Hillyer (12). 

“I wish I would’ve known that being involved at EHS would make my high school experience so much better! There is truly a club and/or sport for everyone.” – Nick Welton (12). 

“Get involved and go to every single sports game that you can go to. Sports games are the best things ever and the energy of the Cat pound is truly unmatched. Don’t be afraid to try new clubs and sports, you can really only do this in high school and experiment with these activities now. Don’t be afraid to show school spirit… show you’re proud to be a Wildcat! Eureka’s an amazing school with so many caring, loving teachers… getting to know your teachers beyond learning is so important.”  –Tess Summers (12).