I am a brand new student to the Sun Prairie School District and freshman at Sun Prairie High School. I have had to deal with all sorts of adjustments, one of which has been my teachers. I have a diverse group of teachers ranging from monotonous and dull to ones who love the sound of their own voice to those who are borderline crazy. The key to a successful freshman year and high school career is adjusting well to your teacher.

Everyone has a different personality. Some personalities mesh very well, while other clash. This is true with your teachers. There will be teachers you will admire and some you will despise. However, to do well with any teacher, you have you need to learn to adapt to their style. For instance if you have a teacher who loves to lecture the entire class, and you find yourself dozing off. Stay engaged. Ask the teacher questions and make it a discussion.

Another part of adjusting to your teachers is adjusting to their work level.

I am taking a few honors courses, which go at an accelerated pace. These classes have a lot more homework than in middle school. In order to manage the workload, I keep a homework organizer. Then when I get home, I list my assignments in order of importance. This helps me gauge what I need to get done and ensures that I don’t forget to do any assignments. As you continue in school, you will learn tricks that help you manage your workload.

If you ever catch yourself not completely understanding the subjects covered in class, you have options. Firstly, you can talk to your teacher. Secondly, if you are falling behind you could get a tutor. If your teacher does not have time to help you check out tutoring. Some schools have tutoring program. If not, ask around for someone willing to help you out. If you are unable to find a tutor, work on your own. Everything requires practice to become good, the same with school. In math if the teacher assigns the even problem, practice the concepts by doing the odd problems. Then by practicing you will gradually become better.

Perhaps you are not fond of your teacher. You think they do not understand anything. They give homework every night, including weekends. Even if you do not like the teacher, always try your best. Remember your teacher has already graduated from high school and college. They are there to help you. In the moment, the amount of work they might give is ridiculous but in time you will realize it is for your own good.

In middle school, you might have been able to get away with not studying, not taking notes or not paying attention in class. That will not fly in high school. The work is more rigorous and will escalate in difficulty as the semesters pass. So if you are not used to studying, be proactive. If the test is next week, studying five to ten minutes a night. This will prevent the need to cram later.

High school is a big step up from middle school. It is important to stay focused, adjust to your teachers, and to learn to managed your workload. By doing all these things, high school will be no problem.