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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Day Of Reckoning Teens, Others Offer A Little Advice For Those About To Begin Their First Day Of High School

School starts Tuesday for most Spokane-area schools. How much sleep did you get the night before your first day of high school?

The first day of high school can be a nerve-wracking, self-esteem crushing day. Yet most survive it with no long-term damage. To help this year’s freshmen survive their first day, Our Generation asked for your advice. Here’s what some of you said:

“Be yourself and don’t worry what the older classes think because next year you’ll be up there with them.” - Arica O’Dell, 15

“Don’t stop in the middle of the halls.” Russell Elledge, 17

“My advice is to go to school a few days early to find your classes. If you do this then the first day’s not so bad; you know where your classes are so you can enjoy high school and not despise it. Make sure you pick up a schedule of bells so you know how much time you have between classes. It’s really bad to be late on the first day of classes. Also, one more thing: Good luck.” Jaymie Cox, 15

“Love the seniors and they’ll treat you right.” Rebecca Magart, 18

“Keep your nose clean and do your homework when it’s due.” Reggie Akins, 17

“The most important thing to remember when going into high school is to get involved in activities. It helped me meet a lot of people.” Kelli Cook, 15

“Stand back and be quiet until you figure out how high school works.” Kipp Ashford, 17

“Take it easy and relax. Be very, very careful about who you hang out with. Choose your friends carefully because these are going to be the people who you’re associated with all through high school. If you’re hanging out with people who are trouble makers and doing drugs, you’re going to be known for that even if you’re not doing it. If you hang out with clean-cut students, people are going to associate you by your friends.” Christie Davenport, 23

“It’s OK to be nervous, just don’t be so preoccupied on looking cool and so sure of yourself that you trip over the stairs and send your books flying everywhere. Nothing attracts more attention than that.” Robb Wargo, 26

“Beware the duct tape.” Andrew Helm, 17

MEMO: Editor’s note: Keith Proctor of Deer Park High School contributed to this article.

Editor’s note: Keith Proctor of Deer Park High School contributed to this article.