Freshman year is a transition period like no other. Between the heavy workload and trying to make time for friends, it can be difficult to find a good balance between studying all the time and spending all of your time socializing. 

Your high school career is approximately 720 days long;  in that short 720 days you will be moving on to things that freshman you could only imagine. So to help you get the most out of your freshman year here are my top five tips to freshman from a sophomore. 

Academics are truly so important, but don’t lose yourself during the first year. 

This is the best year to get involved; go to a football game, make new friends. Leaving everything you know from your middle school and entering a new atmosphere might feel terrifying, but remember that every freshman around you is going through the same thing. 

Step outside of your comfort zone. 

Freshman year is the time for you to step out of your comfort zone. During this transition period, take it upon yourself to join a club or sit with someone new at lunch. It will make all the difference. 

Go to that game. 

Whether it is a football game, a basketball game or any other type of sports game, don’t think twice about attending. Sitting with your friends in the student section decked out in your Chapman gear is a feeling like none other. The hype of the student section on Friday nights when a touchdown is scored is electrifying and I promise you won’t regret going. 

Procrastination gets you nowhere. 

We’ve all done it. We received an assignment and waited until the last possible second to get it done, even if that means completing it as the teacher walks around. While it may seem like a good idea at the time, it is better for everyone to go ahead and get it done. It is that simple. 

Friends matter more now than ever. 

Throughout your school career, friends mattered, but now more than ever, you need to find friends that will always be there for you.Friends have come and gone and your “circle” has changed. High school is a stressful time and surrounding yourself with happy people will help you to be happy. 

All in all, your freshman year is definitely one for the books. Take this advice with a grain of salt and don’t forget you only have roughly 720 days until you go out into the real world and do things your freshman self could only imagine. Remember, make your freshman year count because you only get to live it once.