9 Tips for an Amazing Grade 9 Year
By Jessica Thiele
1. Be Organized, Be Stress-Free
Honestly, odds are that by the end of the year all the pages of your binder will be falling out (if they’re even in at all) and you’ll only have one stub of a pencil to write with, but try hard not to let that happen. Keep your binder organized by having separate tabs (or binders!) for different subjects. Also, actually use the rings of your binders; don’t just shove papers in the pockets. This will make it easier to find that worksheet you need from the beginning of the year. Having an organized binder also means you won’t lose any of your notes, which is really helpful for when you’re studying for exams.
Make sure you keep track of your homework and all the due dates. Agendas are great for this, but if you didn’t get one, or yours is under your bed never to be seen again, still make sure to write due dates somewhere. Losing marks because you didn’t know an assignment was due is the worst.
2. Get Involved – Join Clubs!
Did you know that Myer has over 50 clubs and sports teams!? We have everything from football to mathletes to art club to interact. With such a wide variety of extracurricular activities to choose from, there’s bound to be something you’ll like!
Now, you’re probably thinking, why should I join clubs? Well, clubs are a great opportunity to make friends. You get to know your fellow marauders in a fun environment, which is always cool. Also, Myer has this points system, where if you do enough clubs, you can get a pin, a letter, or a plaque at the end of the year! Another good reason to join a club is that you can get volunteer hours for some things, such as courtyard club.
As you can see, clubs and sports are great, but the best reason to join them is that sometimes there will be special events or tournaments, where you’ll get to go somewhere really cool and miss some school! The extracurriculars you do are the things you’ll remember forever, and are what make high school so much fun.
3. Don’t Stop in the Middle of the Hall
This is probably the most important tip on this list. Nothing is more infuriating than trying to go from room 201 to room 125 in 5 minutes when the halls are crowded with stopped students. Also, if you are going to stop somewhere in the hallway, DO NOT STOP IN THE STAIRWAY. Make sure you are not stopped in the middle of a corner, and make sure you obey the rules of the road. Really, hallways should just be called highways, the same rules apply.
4. Do Your Homework
You’re going to notice that a lot of teachers don’t check homework. This does not mean you shouldn’t do it. If you don’t do your homework, then you won’t learn, and you’ll do poorly on a test. This is why a lot of teachers don’t bother checking homework, because they’ll be able to tell later if you did it by your test results. Also, make sure you pay attention in class! And don’t be afraid to ask questions, it’s better to ask than to do the project wrong because you didn’t understand something.
5. Get As Many Hours As You Can
They aren’t kidding when they say you need 40 volunteer hours to graduate. And sometimes, these can be hard to get. That’s why you should try to get as many done as possible in your freshman year. This lets you focus on other things in your later high school years, when the work gets harder and you have to actually figure out what you’re going to do with your life.
6. Listen to Your Teachers
All the teachers at Myer are really nice, and I promise they won’t bite (at least, most of them won’t). A lot of them have really good advice, and a lot of them are actually really fun! Don’t be surprised when Mr. Young comes into your class dressed like Thor and starts talking about superheroes with you. Don’t be alarmed if at an assembly a bunch of teachers come out in animal masks and dance to what does the fox say (this actually happened last year!). The teachers at Myer are so nice, so get to know them. Plus lots of them give out candy, which is awesome.
7. Take Advantage of MSIP
MSIP is probably the greatest thing of all time, if you use it properly. It’s an opportunity to get extra work done, to cram quickly before a test, or time to do some leisure reading and take a break from the stress of a school day. It’s also great because 90% of teachers will let you listen to music in MSIP, so make sure you bring your headphones! Another thing that’s awesome about MSIP is travel. You can go see a teacher if you need help with that specific subject, go to a computer lab, or work with a friend in another MSIP class on a group project. Just make sure you get a slip from the teacher you’re going to see before your MSIP class.
8. Don’t Be Afraid
Yes, all of the big grade 12’s with their beards in your MSIP class might seem scary. But they started out just like you. It’s weird going from being the big kids of an elementary school to the little kids of a high school, but don’t worry. As long as you follow these tips and tricks, you’ll do great! Also, don’t worry, there’s no “initiation”. You won’t be shoved into a locker or anything. Myer is a really friendly community, and even the scary bearded grade 12’s won’t be mean.
9. Have Fun!
School doesn’t have to be horrible. Pick electives that you think you’d like, and sit next to your friends. Join fun clubs and make new friends! Try something new, you might just like it. High school is supposed to be the best four years of your life, so participate. Go out to pizza pizza with your friends one day. Try eating in the caf, it’s actually not that bad, and the food is great. Go out of your comfort zone and you’ll see how great high school can be!
By Jessica Thiele
1. Be Organized, Be Stress-Free
Honestly, odds are that by the end of the year all the pages of your binder will be falling out (if they’re even in at all) and you’ll only have one stub of a pencil to write with, but try hard not to let that happen. Keep your binder organized by having separate tabs (or binders!) for different subjects. Also, actually use the rings of your binders; don’t just shove papers in the pockets. This will make it easier to find that worksheet you need from the beginning of the year. Having an organized binder also means you won’t lose any of your notes, which is really helpful for when you’re studying for exams.
Make sure you keep track of your homework and all the due dates. Agendas are great for this, but if you didn’t get one, or yours is under your bed never to be seen again, still make sure to write due dates somewhere. Losing marks because you didn’t know an assignment was due is the worst.
2. Get Involved – Join Clubs!
Did you know that Myer has over 50 clubs and sports teams!? We have everything from football to mathletes to art club to interact. With such a wide variety of extracurricular activities to choose from, there’s bound to be something you’ll like!
Now, you’re probably thinking, why should I join clubs? Well, clubs are a great opportunity to make friends. You get to know your fellow marauders in a fun environment, which is always cool. Also, Myer has this points system, where if you do enough clubs, you can get a pin, a letter, or a plaque at the end of the year! Another good reason to join a club is that you can get volunteer hours for some things, such as courtyard club.
As you can see, clubs and sports are great, but the best reason to join them is that sometimes there will be special events or tournaments, where you’ll get to go somewhere really cool and miss some school! The extracurriculars you do are the things you’ll remember forever, and are what make high school so much fun.
3. Don’t Stop in the Middle of the Hall
This is probably the most important tip on this list. Nothing is more infuriating than trying to go from room 201 to room 125 in 5 minutes when the halls are crowded with stopped students. Also, if you are going to stop somewhere in the hallway, DO NOT STOP IN THE STAIRWAY. Make sure you are not stopped in the middle of a corner, and make sure you obey the rules of the road. Really, hallways should just be called highways, the same rules apply.
4. Do Your Homework
You’re going to notice that a lot of teachers don’t check homework. This does not mean you shouldn’t do it. If you don’t do your homework, then you won’t learn, and you’ll do poorly on a test. This is why a lot of teachers don’t bother checking homework, because they’ll be able to tell later if you did it by your test results. Also, make sure you pay attention in class! And don’t be afraid to ask questions, it’s better to ask than to do the project wrong because you didn’t understand something.
5. Get As Many Hours As You Can
They aren’t kidding when they say you need 40 volunteer hours to graduate. And sometimes, these can be hard to get. That’s why you should try to get as many done as possible in your freshman year. This lets you focus on other things in your later high school years, when the work gets harder and you have to actually figure out what you’re going to do with your life.
6. Listen to Your Teachers
All the teachers at Myer are really nice, and I promise they won’t bite (at least, most of them won’t). A lot of them have really good advice, and a lot of them are actually really fun! Don’t be surprised when Mr. Young comes into your class dressed like Thor and starts talking about superheroes with you. Don’t be alarmed if at an assembly a bunch of teachers come out in animal masks and dance to what does the fox say (this actually happened last year!). The teachers at Myer are so nice, so get to know them. Plus lots of them give out candy, which is awesome.
7. Take Advantage of MSIP
MSIP is probably the greatest thing of all time, if you use it properly. It’s an opportunity to get extra work done, to cram quickly before a test, or time to do some leisure reading and take a break from the stress of a school day. It’s also great because 90% of teachers will let you listen to music in MSIP, so make sure you bring your headphones! Another thing that’s awesome about MSIP is travel. You can go see a teacher if you need help with that specific subject, go to a computer lab, or work with a friend in another MSIP class on a group project. Just make sure you get a slip from the teacher you’re going to see before your MSIP class.
8. Don’t Be Afraid
Yes, all of the big grade 12’s with their beards in your MSIP class might seem scary. But they started out just like you. It’s weird going from being the big kids of an elementary school to the little kids of a high school, but don’t worry. As long as you follow these tips and tricks, you’ll do great! Also, don’t worry, there’s no “initiation”. You won’t be shoved into a locker or anything. Myer is a really friendly community, and even the scary bearded grade 12’s won’t be mean.
9. Have Fun!
School doesn’t have to be horrible. Pick electives that you think you’d like, and sit next to your friends. Join fun clubs and make new friends! Try something new, you might just like it. High school is supposed to be the best four years of your life, so participate. Go out to pizza pizza with your friends one day. Try eating in the caf, it’s actually not that bad, and the food is great. Go out of your comfort zone and you’ll see how great high school can be!