Ways to survive high school

With new locker combinations, hundreds of new faces and dozens of classes to choose from, maneuvering the halls of high school can be hard. The pressure to make new friends and fit in and the activities and groups available can lead you to ignore the real point of high school: an education. With a little advice, you can make the most out of your time in high school.

Finding balance

Time is money; treat it that way.

That's the message Dr. James Stapleton, executive director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and assistant professor at Southeast Missouri State University, would send to high schoolers looking to survive their class load, which can be much heavier than the lower grades.

Stapleton, a former high school teacher, said the social scene can be overpowering, but balance is key.

"High school's a big social event basically," he said. "Balance is important for all of us. You have to maintain some balance between person and professional life. Students are no different."

That means spending time on activities and in groups that will help you achieve your goals. Know that time is a limited resource and spend your time on things that will have a valuable return such as study groups with friends or academic organizations.

Once you figure out what you'll be involved in and what assignments you have to spend time on, Mary Harriet Talbut said, a calendar or planner is your best friend, whether it's a planner from a store or a smartphone like your Blackberry or iPhone.

Talbut, an instructor in Southeast's middle and secondary education department and the mother of a 15-year-old sophomore at Jackson High School, said entering any assignments, appointments or deadlines in a calendar will help keep teens organized.

"They have to keep track of eight different deadlines because they have eight different classes," she said. "My son got to where he looked at his [calendar] every hour."

Teens are pressured when entering high school with more responsibility than they may be used to. Some local high school counselors said most students wish they had been more focused on grades because colleges look at high school transcripts. The counselors also said it can be hard to find the right group of peers to get involved with at a new school.

"Teachers are always a good reference to get advice from," said Sarah Foster, a guidance counselor at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Scott City High School offers many clubs and groups to help students get involved.

"You should look for people who share the same interest and value the same things as you," said Judith Fuchs, a guidance counselor at the school. Asking for help

Foster said high school can be a stressful adjustment but advises any student with problems to talk it out with a teacher, who is likely willing to help in any way he or she can.

"Here at Central, we offer a few programs to help students with their work, like our tutor program, which any students can attend an hour before school and an hour after school," she said. "Also, a program called PAS [Preparing Students for Academic Success], which aids all students in ninth grade and those who need further assistance in 10th grade and up."

Fuchs said making grades a priority early is important.

"I would advise students to build a strong foundation with grades first so it won't be harder in years to come," she said.

Scott City High School offers "Students as Teachers" tutoring session were students help other students while being aided by a teacher.

"These are the type of things that should be done to get involved in a positive way,"said Laura Hayden, a student council leader at Scott City High School.

Planning for the future

Students don't need to know where they want to go to college when they start high school, but thinking ahead helps.

"Planning ahead is the key," said Brandi Ritter, guidance counselor at Chaffee High School. "Start freshman year."

She said students should research which colleges they want to attend early. As they narrow down choices, they should check to make sure they're fulfilling the requirements to be accepted.

"Sometimes they'll wait too late to take the ACT or to squeeze in all their extra core courses," she said.

Angel Klund, a guidance counselor at Jackson High School, said students should not pile on too many higher level classes, especially dual enrollment courses that count toward a college transcript.

"You need to choose upper-level courses wisely and give it your 100 percent," she said.

Students should disperse the harder classes throughout high school rather than taking them all in one year, she said.

Both counselors said the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center is the best option for students who do not want to go pursue a college degree.

"They have a lot of great hands-on training programs," Ritter said.

Klund said in some cases, high school students have almost finished an associate degree before graduation.

She said she encourages students to get work experience before graduation. Schools offer work programs that can help students gain practical experience in a certain field.

Klund said students can also take business, agriculture and consumer science classes to prepare them for life after graduation.

For almost any entry-level job "we can guide you with some classes," she said.