If you watch a lot of movies, you can probably picture the teenager-high school scenario where freshman are being slammed into lockers, their lunch stolen, or their lockers violated. Watching these movies before entering high school can make your first day a lot more fearful than it should be. Going to new schools happens more than once in your life, whether it is the transition from elementary school to middle school, or middle school to high school. There is no doubt that high school can seem the most terrifying of all three grade schools that you eventually have to attend.

But even though you may think this, you are not alone, because everyone who is either in high school currently or has graduated has went through the same fearful first day as you. Many thing that happen in movies don’t seem possible, which is almost always exactly how high school functions in real life compared to movies. Here are some tips on how to survive your first year, and once you have mastered these tips, these next four years will be your best.

• Class schedules and Directions

When you are given your class schedule, you may fear that you are going to get lost or go to the wrong class, but once you learn how the floors and room numbers work, you will know how to find any class. The first digit in your room number will determine which floor your class is on. The second digit is the hallway number. The other two digits will determine what room number your class is. When you are walking to class, it is best to walk on the right side of the hall and the stairs.

• Lunch

There are two different lunches: first and second lunch. The lunches are sorted by the room number of your class. There are three different lunches: E block, F block, and G block.

• E block lunches are on days 1, 3, 4, and 5
• F block lunch is on day 6
• G block lunches are on days 2 and 7

Depending on the room number of that class, you will find out if you have first or second lunch.

• If you have first lunch, you will go to the designated lunch block after lunch.
• If you have second lunch, you will go to the designated lunch block before lunch.

The first floor and most of the second floor have first lunch. Some teachers on the second floor choose to have second lunch, so make sure to check the lunch list. If your class is on the third floor, you will have second lunch.

• Sports or clubs

Our school has many different programs, whether it is art, band, sports, drama, etc. Getting involved can help you in many ways, whether it is to make new friends, be productive, or to find a new hobby. Each season, there is a new set of sports that you can sign up for. There are also after school clubs that you can join where people express their inner creativity by using art, music, acting, etc.

• Homework

Now that you are in a bigger school, and have different teachers for each class, you are going to have more homework to complete. If you are struggling with how to solve a problem or how to write an essay, there are multiple ways this can be solved. Many teachers have certain days each week that they stay after school. If you need help with homework or need to retake a test, they will stay after school one day to help you.

If you need one-on-one help, The NHS (National Honors Society) is a group of students who help tutor other students. The National Honors society meets up in the library after school, so you can go to the library after school to meet up with one of them, or schedule an appointment with a certain person. Sign ups are located in the library. Tutoring and homework help usually lasts an hour. Homework is a large part of your grade, so make sure to keep up with it. If there is an upcoming test, make sure to study.

High school can be a very big transition, so it may be hard to get used to at first. It may take a few months to go over these steps and get them down, but I guarantee by the end of this year, you will know the rules of the school.