For many freshmen, setting foot and trekking into the unfamiliar territory known as high school can be a complex, abstract, and unclear time to manage.
Meeting new faces while encountering an abundance of club and athletic options piled on top of a more demanding class schedule and more freedom than prior years is something many underclassmen have trouble adjusting to. Therefore, some may be uncertain on how to skillfully approach such situations as they experience their first year in high school.
From learning how to deal with procrastination to efficiently staying on top of school work and seeing extra support from resources on campus, this article shares advice from seniors on frequently-asked questions that many freshmen have.
1. How to stay balanced when dealing with athletics and academics?
Juggling both sports with a full schedule of college-prep classes has been an obstacle many student athletes have faced. Additionally, those who choose to take more rigorous courses like AP or Honors classes, may find it harder to practice proper time management skills when handling assignments and projects while also excelling in their sports.
Freshman Kailynn Tuliapupu is a varsity volleyball player at Rancho Cucamonga High School. She asked how to handle the hurdles of trying to stay afloat in both sports and school.
“Do you have any advice on how to stay on top of school work during sports?” Tuliapupu asked.
Senior Gianna Carrillo is on the varsity flag football team at RCHS. She responded by giving advice on what worked for her when she struggled with this situation.
“The one thing I would say helped me the most to stay on top of school work during sports would be figuring out my time management. Once I created a routine of how much time I needed to finish my work, it helped me so much,” Carrillo said. “I would set aside a certain amount of time to complete my work.”
2. Handling Procrastination
Having so many classes to manage may be overwhelming for some freshmen trying to get acclimated to the high school environment. Distractions such as social media notifications, friends, boredom, or lack of planning also may contribute to procrastination.
Freshman Mariam Maximos asked for advice on how to handle procrastination.
“How can I handle procrastination? It’s one thing I do so much, and I want to find a way to avoid it,” Mazimos asked.
Senior Jolie Jensen responded to how she would try to avoid procrastination.
“You can handle procrastination by setting away things that distract you and finding a quiet place to work,” Jensen said.
3. External Resources
On campus, RCHS offers resources for freshmen who need a little extra help. Link Crew is a class with trained upperclassmen that offers tutoring every Tuesday-Thursday for freshmen and has Freshman Fridays for freshmen to connect with other freshmen.
“Your grades count, and you have all the help in the world to get your grades up! High school goes extremely fast. You are halfway done with your first year, make every moment and memory count,” said Link Crew advisor Ms. Samantha Deceglie.
As the first semester of the 2025-2026 concludes, it’s important for freshmen to continue headstrong into the remaining months of the school year, and utilize any resources that can continue to guide them towards success.
