This post is all about the best 31 high school hacks for freshman year you need to know.
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High school is two things: fun and stressful!! It’s fun because you finally have more independence, fewer classes a day, and more time to hang out with your friends in between classes.
It can also be super overwhelming! You want to do well in school but also have fun which is why I’m writing this post. I rounded up a list of my top 31 high school hacks that I know will help any high school student maintain good grades, juggle all of their extracurriculars, and still find time for a social life especially during freshman year.
These 31 high school hacks for freshman year helped me so much in high school and I know they will help you too. You got this!!
1. Planner
One of my all-time favorite organizational tools that I talk about all of the time on my blog is a planner. This is also one of the best high school hacks for freshman year!
One of the most important things to staying organized is writing things down. I know it takes time and can be annoying to do all of the time but trust me, it will make your life a lot easier in the long run because you won’t forget assignments and your schedule.
Try to find a planner that matches your style and you like so that you’re more likely to use it. One of my favorite planners is the day designer by blue sky. I’ve been using the daily/monthly layout and it works so well. It gives you a page for every day of the week so you can time block and really plan out your day.
If you get one thing out of this post, I hope it’s the importance of a planner. You will not be sorry once you start using it!!
2. Color Code Your School Supplies:
This helped me so much in high school!! To do this just assign a color to each of your classes. For example, in my mind language arts/English is yellow so any school supplies that I bought for English were yellow.
This made it so much easier for me to know which school supplies to grab from my locker for class and which to take home with me at the end of the day (depending on which classes I had homework for). This is such a helpful hack and really works!!
3. Stay after with teachers:
I know what you’re thinking, “ugh who wants to do that.” It’s not the most fun thing in the world but it really will help you stay ahead of the game instead of falling behind!! One of the worst things to do in high school is fall behind because it will be impossible to catch up, especially on top of your extracurriculars and social life.
Staying after with your teachers about anything you’re a little fuzzy on or want extra help with will make you feel more confident, help you do better on quizzes/tests, and will build a stronger relationship with your teachers which never hurts.
4. Take organized notes:
This is a big one!! It’s the most annoying situation when you are trying to do an assignment or homework but can’t because you can’t read your notes because they are so sloppy.
Think of this during class and take your time writing. If you can use a laptop to take notes, that’s even better!! Just make sure to label them so you can find them easily. This hack will save you a lot of time in the long run.
5. Flashcards:
Flashcards were my best friend in high school!! Actually, Quizlet was because it lets you make virtual flashcards.
Flashcards are a really helpful study tool for so many reasons. They force you to write the material down again which helps you remember it better. They allow you to quiz yourself and feel more confident that you actually know the material.
I definitely recommend making flashcards regularly. It’s also a lot easier if you make them throughout the unit instead of at the end. That way you can focus on a little material at a time and don’t have to cram it all in your head at the last second.
6. Colored pens:
This is a fun hack! I definitely recommend getting some pretty colored pens that you really like writing with for high school. You’ll be writing in your planner, notebooks, and flashcards so having colored pens that you love is a must!!
Triples fine liner pens are my all time favorite colored pens. They don’t bleed through paper so they are really good for writing in planners and notebooks, they have a fine tip and come in a ton of colors! I use them all of the time.
7. Participate in extracurriculars:
This is actually an interesting hack because you wouldn’t think it would make you a better student, but from my experience and watching my friends it really does!!
Participating in clubs, sports, or anything else forces you to be a lot more organized and on top of your work because you just don’t have enough time to dilly dally.
I swam during high school and during our season, I was a lot more on top of my work because I knew 3 hours after school was going to be taken up by swim so I had to be organized and get my work done ahead of time.
Being a part of extracurriculars also gives you a whole group of friends that are going through similar things you are. It’s a great way to make friends!!
8. Talk to everyone:
High school is a great time to branch out and make new friends!! Try to get to know people in your classes, for friendships, and just be friendly to everyone. It’s the best way to make friendships with people!!
9. Make a schedule:
I personally like to know what I’m doing at all times during my day. I know that’s crazy but it just makes me feel better to know what is going on throughout my day. It also helps me stay a lot more organized!!
I definitely recommend making a weekly or daily schedule for yourself so you know when assignments are due, when you have time to work on them, when you’re extracurriculars are, and when you’re hanging out with friends. This way everything is planned for and nothing is a surprise.
You can use your planner to do this or use the scheduling printables in my free resource library. They are so helpful!!
10. Pick your outfit out the night before:
This is a biggie!! I feel like one of the main reasons I missed the bus or was late to school during high school was because I changed my outfit a hundred times in the morning.
If you wear a uniform, count yourself lucky because you won’t have this problem. If you don’t, try to pick out your outfit and try it on to make sure you’re happy with it the night before. That way, you won’t waste time in the morning and won’t be late for school.
11. Pack your bag and lunch the night before too:
Really anything you’re going to need in the morning for school should be done the night before. It will make your mornings way more stress-free.
You won’t have to worry about rushing to pack your bag, find that missing folder or pack your lunch. It will all be done the night before and you’ll be so glad that you can grab it and go.
12. Schedule times to hang out with your friends:
High schoolers are busy and it can be difficult to find a time when you and your friends are all free to hang out. Try to plan times in advance when you’re all free so that you can continue to spend time with them and have fun!
13. Plan out papers and projects ahead of time!!
This is such a big one because nobody likes writing papers or working on a giant project but we all have to do it and waiting until the last minute is not helping anyone!!!
I’m going to type that last part again and bold it because it’s so important and I really want it to really soak in: waiting until the last minute is not helping anyone!!!
Don’t let my blog or seemingly organized self fool you, I have a bad habit of procrastination! I don’t know why, I just always have but it’s not fun! Nobody actually likes that crippling feeling of trying to get a giant assignment turned in before the clock strikes 12.
Two things I procrastinate on the most are projects and papers which is why I find it very helpful to create plans for them ahead of time. Try to create a general outline and steps for yourself so that big assignments don’t feel so overwhelming. I promise it will help!!
14. Break large assignments into smaller steps
I just talked about this but it’s so helpful that I want to write about it more and give you an example so that you can do it with your own assignments.
One of the biggest reasons I procrastinate is because some assignments just feel so overwhelming. I don’t even want to start, because if I do I will instantly become stressed out.
Instead of that mindset, get out a piece of paper and write the overall assignment on the top. For example, let’s pretend you have to write a research paper on the history of yoga.
Write “research paper on the history of yoga” at the top of the paper.
Then write out the main steps that you have to take to accomplish this assignment but leave space in between for sub-steps.
So I would write:
-find books and online sources on the history of yoga
-take notes on this info
-create a thesis
-write a paper outline
-turn outline into the paper
-create bibliography
You can add sub-steps under these main steps too. Take the assignment step by step and I promise you will feel a lot better than waiting until the last minute.
15. Get sleep:
Sleep is so so important!! I took a really hard class sophomore year of high school and would stay up SO LATE finishing assignments, it was awful. I thought it was “cool” that I wasn’t getting enough sleep but that is ridiculous for a sophomore in high school. You’re in high school and the reality is that’s not healthy or “cool” by any means.
What’s cool is getting sleep and actually being able to function during the day. Try to create a good sleep schedule for yourself. I know it’s hard but you can do it and you’ll feel so much better during the day if you do.
16. Eat breakfast:
This is another obvious yet often missed thing!! Skipping breakfast is one of the worst things you can do unless you’re honestly not hungry in the morning.
You need nutrients in the morning to stay focused in class and just get through your day. Try to eat breakfast and if you don’t have time, wake up 5 minutes earlier and eat a granola bar. Or eat one on the bus, that’s what I did!!
17. Don’t compare yourself to others:
Everyone is in the same boat, it might not look or feel like that’s true, but it is. Don’t compare yourself to other people in any way.
Whether that’s their social media profile, their academic performance, popularity, or even what they wear to school. None of it really matters in high school and once you graduate it is going to become so clear just how much none of it matters, so don’t waste too much time on it.
You are totally enough, be confident, kind, and just do you!
18. Get a job:
If you’re old enough to work, get a job and save your money!! If you’re planning to go to college, it’s super expensive and while college loans sound nice on paper they aren’t actually fun to have.
When you get to college you’re going to want to go out to dinner and do fun stuff but all of it costs money so saving up your money in high school is so smart. I definitely saved my money but I wish I saved more.
Also, gas is so expensive so if you’re driving you’ll want to factor that in.
19. Read more for fun!
I’m an elementary and special education major in college and just finished taking a children’s literature class. In the beginning of the class, she asked us to fill out a survey that asked if we enjoy reading and how many books we have read for fun in the past year.
I realized that I didn’t read as much for fun as I used to in elementary school. I used to really like reading but once I got to middle and high school, reading for fun wasn’t really a thing anymore because reading seemed more like a chore.
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot more and loving it!! You can learn so much important info in books and there are so many of them.
Some books I’ve read lately are below, they are so good!! Also, a good way to go to sleep earlier, read a little before bed so that you’re not so attached to your phone.
-Atomic Habits: such a good book that’s all about how little habits add up to form big results. Really good if you’re looking to become more organized and reach your goals!!
-It Ends With Us: A romance book (my favorite genre) by one of my favorite authors, Colleen Hoover!!! Seriously this is such a good book that really makes you think about hard topics in a different way while still keeping the beauty of romance alive.
20. Get involved:
Get involved in your school! This goes along with being a part of extracurriculars. If there are community service opportunities or clubs that interest you, join them!! It’s a great way to feel a part of something and will allow you to give back to your community which is so important. Extracurriculars also look really good on your resume and college applications!!
21. Get a good backpack:
Make sure to get a quality backpack for college! I like spacious backpacks because they have room for school supplies and have a ton of pockets to keep your materials organized. Having a spacious backpack is especially important if you go to a school where you don’t use lockers.
If you are carrying all of your books around the whole day you will want a backpack with a lot of room.
Related Post: 27+ Cute College Bags For Girls You Need For College
22. Study with friends:
Studying with friends is a really good way to be productive while having fun and enjoying each other’s company- as long as you are able to work together without getting too distracted.
23. Do your homework somewhere productive:
It can be very helpful to find a place to work in your home or town where you are the most productive. In my house, I like working at the dining room table because it gives me a lot of space to work on.
24. Read the material:
I know it can be tempting to “save time” by using Shmoop or SparkNotes to “read” a book for your classes.
Although this may seem easier it is most likely going to waste more time because you won’t truly understand the material and it will make assignments a lot harder.
With that said, Shmoop and Sparknotes can still be a great way to reinforce the material and help you to better understand the books you are reading.
25. Review your notes:
Reviewing your notes for each class throughout the week is a great way to reinforce the material you are learning at school.
It will also help make completing your homework and studying for tests much easier because you will be studying and actually learning the material a little bit every day without even realizing it.
26. Discover your learning style:
Everyone learns differently and knowing what kind of learner you are will help you study in the most effective way for you.
The three main learning styles are auditory learners, visual learners, and tactile/kinesthetic learners.
Auditory learners prefer to learn by listening.
Study tips include:
-Speaking the material you are trying to learn out loud to yourself
-Discuss the material out loud with other people
-Record yourself speaking the information and then listen to it over and over
Visual Learners prefer to learn by seeing.
Study tips include:
– Using colors (bright colors work the best for me) in your notes
-Draw diagrams and pictures to emphasize key points- this will help you remember ideas as images
-make flashcards with pictures
Tactile/kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing.
Study Tips:
– Hands-on activities: for examples labs during science class
– Build models to remember key points
27. Take breaks:
It is really important to take breaks so that you don’t get overwhelmed with everything going on in your life.
You can schedule breaks in your weekly schedule so that it is consistent every week.
Another method I find helpful is working on something for 20 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. You can set timers on your phone so you know when it is time for a break.
28. Volunteer:
Volunteering will allow you to be an active member of your community while helping to make a difference in the lives of others. My service through high school taught me so many things and introduced me to so many wonderful people.
I definitely recommend looking into ways you can get involved in your community and make a difference.
29. Join Clubs:
Clubs were such a big part of my high school experience. My favorite club is the Best Buddies club which creates friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Joining a club that you are interested in will allow you to spend time doing what you love. It will also give you the opportunity to meet people who may share your interests.
30. Remember the big picture:
High school is important in a lot of ways but in a lot of other ways, it’s not as important as people make it out to seem. Do your best in school but don’t freak out if you don’t get an A+ in every class because unless you’re trying to get into an ivy league college, it really doesn’t matter.
High school should be about meeting new people, making friends, learning, and discovering an idea of what you’re interested in and maybe want to study in college.
Don’t freak out over the little things and just try to enjoy your time in high school because trust me, it flies by.
31. Have fun:
Most importantly, have fun! 🙂 High school is really what you make it. Have a positive attitude, try your best in class, make new friends, join extracurriculars, and have fun!
These 31 high school hacks for freshman year helped me so much in high school! I wanted to share them with all of you because I wish someone would have told me these hacks when I was in high school.
If you try any of these high school hacks for freshman year and they help you, let me know in the comments below! I love hearing from my readers.
This post was all about 31 high school hacks for freshman year, I hope you enjoyed it! Want more high school hacks for freshman year? Click here.
31 high school hacks for freshman year
