As I enter the final few weeks of my tenure at Central Catholic High School, I cannot help but indulge in the strong, reflective feeling that has taken over. As cliché as this sounds, it really does feel like just yesterday, I made my first trek up the front stairs and into the castle-like building that towers over Fifth Avenue. My four years at Central have taught me more lessons than I could ever recount in one, normal length article, yet here I am, attempting to do just that. This article can be used by anyone attending or planning to attend Central, and consists of some of the most important lessons I learned about surviving and thriving, in Central Catholic.

Freshman Year

First things first, watch a crash course on how to tie a tie. Done? Congratulations! You are now ready to be a Central Catholic Student. You have now arrived at the bottom of the totem pole. The change happens instantaneously. In a matter of a few quick months, you devolve from an eighth grader at the top of the food chain, to a bottom feeding freshman. It is now time to apply all of the knowledge you have acquired about high school over the years. Do not make eye contact with upperclassmen, do not make sudden movements, and absolutely do not get in their way. You WILL be shoved in a locker, and your lunch money WILL be stolen. Contrary to popular belief, upperclassmen are actually people too, and, I promise you, they have much more important things to worry about than which freshman they are going to bully today.

Be sure to get involved in sports and clubs early. It is by far the easiest way to make friends in a foreign environment. Some of my closest friends to this day are people I met during summer cross country practice before freshman year. For more on the importance of the cross country team in my life, refer to the article I wrote on that earlier this year. Not only are organizations great for making friends, but they make great application fillers when it comes time to apply to college.

One of the most important lessons I learned during my time at Central was something I should have learned much sooner, short-sleeved shirts are essential. As a freshman, the majority of your classes are on the fourth floor, and you will soon come to find out that it gets incredibly hot and humid up there, regardless of how many windows are open and fans are running. You WILL be uncomfortably hot for almost all hours of the day, with the exception of the brief moments you get in the cafeteria before they make you do the unthinkable… walk the quad.

Walking the quad is probably Central’s most storied tradition. Nobody knows how or why it came about, but we all have done it, and all will do it until the end of time. Instead of wasting your time complaining about this sacred ritual, just get out there and do it. One of my favorite memories from freshman year, if not my entire Central Catholic career happened while I was walking the quad. I witnessed a student, a fellow freshman actually, drink an entire bottle of glue as a dare. It was… interesting, to say the least. Do not break the Golden Rule of quad walking, “Thou shalt stay off the bricks”. It is something you will hear so often during your three years of walking the quad that, eventually, you will never touch those bricks, even as you walk through the quad to get in and out of school.

If there is one thing to take away from this article, it is certainly the following piece of advice; it is NEVER too early to start thinking about college. When I entered Central, I had absolutely no idea how college worked. To be completely honest, college was not something I had put any thought to until the end of freshman year. However, no matter what you may convince yourself, freshman grades DO matter. In my case, my grades during freshman year were greatly unimpressive. I did nothing, barely made the honor roll, and went on with my life as if I had no regard for my future. However, that year left me fighting an uphill battle for the next three years. I would strongly advise any freshman to do some research on colleges they may want to attend, and then have a meeting with Ms. Morgan so she can help you set some academic goals to set you on the right track for a successful future.

Sophomore Year

Go ahead, spend the first couple months talking about how annoying the freshmen are as if you were not just a freshman 4 months ago. We all have been there. Once you have that off your chest, it is time to tackle the beast that is sophomore year. In my experience, sophomore year was by far the easiest year, but that is certainly something that will vary for each person. Regardless, there are some rules that can easily apply to everyone starting their second year of Central.

If you haven’t started this already, I highly recommend packing your lunch. While Central is blessed with a fantastic cafeteria, it is no secret that meals are expensive here. I know it takes a few extra minutes to pack your lunch, and there are just some days that you aren’t feeling it, but your wallet will greatly appreciate you not spending $5+ on lunch every day.

Be sure to attend as many school events as you can. Football and basketball games are always a blast, and the hockey games have seen a rise in popularity over the years as well. One of the underrated groups that I think deserves more attention is Masque. I hadn’t attended a Masque production until the spring of my junior year, and I only wish I had done it sooner. Attending these events gives you the chance to see some of your classmates in a scenario outside of the classroom, and can lead to you associating with someone you may never have associated with otherwise.

Another thing that should be put into practice by now is use of the library. You do not need multiple lunches every day. Instead, spend one of your free periods in the library. It is a valuable resource to get homework done, giving you more leisure time at home.

Towards the end of sophomore year, your college search should be narrowed down a little bit. Begin taking college visits now, and have a checklist to see if you are on track to attend your dream school. By now, you should have taken the PSAT, which gives you a rough estimate of where you will be when it comes time to take the real SAT next year.

Form a good relationship with some of your teachers/administrators. Central’s staff is filled with great people who genuinely have your best interest in mind. They will always be there to help if you are struggling in a class, or just need someone to talk to.

Junior Year

Ah, junior year, everyone’s worst nightmare. I’m sure you have heard from the beginning that this will be the hardest year of high school. It is also the most important. If your GPA is not where it needs to be for your dream school, this is your last chance to raise it. The college search should be at its peak intensity right now. There is a lot going on, to say the least.

Take the SAT early. In a perfect world, you could take the SAT one time, get the score you need, and never have to take it again. In most cases, however, you will need to take the SAT multiple times. By taking it in the fall of your junior year, you will give yourself plenty of time to figure out what areas you need to improve on, and then improve these areas and retake the test. Do not put this off. It will only cause you extra stress that can be avoided.

Hopefully you aren’t like me and have already visited a couple colleges. I got very lucky in this regard. The only college visit I made was to Penn State during the summer after my sophomore year, and that happens to be the college I am attending. However, the time period between submitting your application to a college and waiting to get into said college is a time filled with stress and doubt. It is good to have backup options that you know you will be satisfied with if the primary option does not work out.

While junior year is the most important year of high school, it is essential to make sure that you do not let yourself get too stressed out. Do not spend all your free time doing homework and studying. You need to be able to find the balance between being a good student and having a social life. The things I said during the Sophomore portion of the article remain true now. Spend some time at school events, hangout with your friends, do whatever it is that makes you happy.

Prom and Homecoming are new for the rising juniors. No matter how you feel about social events like these, I think it is important for everyone to attend a school dance at least once during their four years. Instead of complaining about how you dislike the DJ’s music, or the food, or whatever you may not like, focus on having fun with your friends. You’re already over halfway done with high school, and there are a lot of people who you won’t see again after graduation. These dances are a great way to go out and have fun with fellow classmates outside of school.

Senior Year

Apply to colleges early. I know far too many people who have missed out on schools because they applied late. It is best to start the process early and get it over with. By applying early, you will get your decisions earlier, and hopefully be able to make your final college choice at a reasonable time. There is no better feeling than knowing where you will be going to college by January. It relieves just about all of the stress from your senior year, and you can focus on enjoying your last months at home.

I am not going to sit here and lie to you about senioritis. It WILL get to you, and your desire to do schoolwork of any sort will be gone before you know what happened. The only piece of advice I can offer on that subject is that you need to find a way to minimize the effects of senioritis. Colleges can change their minds after admitting a student, and you can be forced to attend summer school as a senior. Do your best to maintain decent grades while battling senioritis. I know this sounds like horrible advice, but it is the best I can do given the reality of the situation.

Again, the importance of having fun with your friends cannot be overstated. These are guys you will not be seeing much after graduation, so you need to make the most of your time with them. You should also be sure to spend plenty of time with your family. It is going to hit you how much you miss them when you reach college, so be sure to take advantage of the time you have left.

Cherish all the little things during your senior year. You are going to hear this a lot, but it is important to make memories. This is your last year before you are thrown into the real world. It is up to you to make the most of it.