1. Go to as many events as possible.
Throughout the school year there are events ranging from fall football games to spring fling pep rallies. Music concerts, sports games, spring fling, theater productions, volunteering days, dances, pep rallies and spirit fest are just a few of many events held at Stevenson during the year. Not only are all of them great opportunities to meet new people, they’re also incredibly fun to go to. Even if you don’t understand a single rule of football or hate the thought of standing on a stage, simply going to the events is a great experience and fun for anyone.

2. Join a club, take a class, try out for a sport that you’re interested in.
Stevenson has more than a hundred clubs, classes ranging from engineering to cooking, and three seasons of sports. This gives new students a huge amount of opportunities in the athletic, academic and social fields. If you’re interested in something, there will most likely be some sort of club or class that you can take to meet people with the same interests as you. Similarly, joining a sport allows you to make strong friendships and be active. Even if you don’t have a particular interest in something, joining a club, taking a class, or trying a sport just because it looks cool is one of the best ways to figure out what you’re interested in.

3. Talk to new people outside of your old middle school group.
A school of almost 4000 kids may seem intimidating and scary at first, especially if you happen to come from a much smaller middle school. New students may tend to identify and stick with their old middle school squad, something that is completely understandable in a new environment. However, this does not mean you shouldn’t talk to and become friends with new people! The best part of being a small fish in a big pond is that there are always going to be more people to meet and expand your friend group. There’s no need to separate yourself by middle school anymore because we all have a common identity – students of Stevenson High School.

4. Do not block the hallways and stay on the right side of traffic.
This is one of the simplest pieces of advice but also one of the most important ones. There is nothing more annoying than trying to get to your next class and not being able to because there are people blocking the hallway. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor and don’t stop in the middle of the hallway. Keep walking on the right side and stop to talk to friends in front of a class instead of in a hallway.

5. Ask for help and take advantage of the resources offered.
High school is undoubtedly a new experience for freshman. Classes get a lot harder and there’s a lot more pressure to do well compared to middle school. However, just because school gets more difficult it does not mean all hope is lost. Stevenson has integrated numerous ways for both new and old students to accomplish all that they can in the best way possible. The ILC and the ELC offer help from teachers and peer helpers in all academic subjects, before school, after school and all throughout the day. If you’re ever struggling to understand a unit in math or need help on a chemistry homework problem, you can get instant help from somebody simply by heading to one of two locations at Stevenson. Another sure way to get the help you need is by talking to your teacher. Asking your teacher when they have opportunities to meet not only gets you help but also shows responsibility outside of class.

6. Bring a charger to school everyday.
A guaranteed way to introduce yourself and make friends with people in your classes is by saving them in a time of crisis. There will almost always be a person in each period who comes to class with their iPad or phone desperately out of battery. When they stand up in the middle of class with a desperate look in their eyes and ask the class if anyone has a charger, you can be the one who provides them with those few extra battery percentages. Not only is this a great way to help people out, but it also promises you a full battery charge every day.