From spending more time on sports to making new friends, and everything in between, many upperclassmen wish they approached high school differently from the start. The M-A Chronicle spoke with juniors and seniors to find out what they wanted to do differently.
Senior Omar Colorado
“As an AVID student who is planning on attending community college, I wish I found my rhythm with studying and organizing my work earlier. When I was a freshman, I barely tried in school and had to participate in summer school when I could have gotten a job like my friends.”
Senior Sabina Ortiz
“As a freshman, I wish I was more socially active and attended more school events such as Homecoming, football games, and movie nights. I think those opportunities would have really made me happier.”
“I used to do wrestling, and I wish that I committed to the sport for all of high school rather than giving up early. I wish I told myself to push through and stay committed because sports opened me up to so many connections and people.”
Senior Thomas Bernadicou
“I wish I talked more in my classes when I was a freshman. For four years, I was the type of student to sit in the back of class with my headphones on. Now that I’m preparing for college, I wish I improved my social skills earlier on since I’ll have to leave my current friend group soon.”
Senior Jesus Oseguera
“I was always the class clown as a kid and never took school seriously. I would hang around the wrong people, who exposed me to bad habits and didn’t care about the differences between an F and a B. If I could go back, I’d do community service and join college readiness programs. I’m currently a part of Future Grads and the Boys and Girls Club, which made me realize how interested I am in attending college.”
Senior Rico Arriaga
“My biggest regret was caring about how others thought about me because that prevented me from socializing. Overly participating in school events such as football games and activities on the Green were viewed as ‘white boy activities’ in my friend group. As a current Leadership student, I wish I never cared about what they thought.”
“To reach my dream school of Cal Poly SLO, I wish I would have done more challenging courses such as AP Biology or AP Chemistry since, now that I’m in AP Physics, it would have been better to be prepared for the workload.”
The upperclassmen interviewed all mentioned facing similar pressures to maintaining their academic careers in preparation for college or the workforce. At the same time, they also agreed that starting activities earlier, dedicating more time to schoolwork as freshmen, and finding balance between their social and academic life were important to a fulfilling high school experience.
