The beginning of high school can be a scary period. To help you, Class of 2025, here’s a list of tips to make the most out of your time at Lane!

1. High school isn’t a movie

If you’re like me, you probably came into high school thinking your outfits were going to be judged along with your friends and personality. If you only listen to one piece of advice that I pass on to you, it’s this: at Lane, no one cares what you do. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any consequences, but you aren’t going to be judged for who you are. Because of this, it’s really easy to make friends and there isn’t a set hierarchy. Jocks, anime lovers, theatre kids and nerds are all friends and people could care less. 

2. Make friends with the person sitting next to you 

One of the ways I made some of my closest friends at Lane was by asking the person to my right or left what their name is. Classes are tough and having a friend with you will make classwork a lot easier. Even if you don’t have anything in common, it’s nice to talk to someone face to face.

3. Utilize your STARS mentor

Every freshman receives a mentor at the beginning of the summer who will reach out to them. This mentor is an upperclassman and has at least gone through one year at Lane, if not more. They are the greatest ambassadors of Lane, knowing more about the school than anyone else. Since they are older, they can give advice about classes, teachers, clubs and anything else Lane related. 

4. Join Clubs

You may have heard this a billion times, but joining clubs is so important. One of the best things about Lane is its size so make sure to take advantage of it. Join as many as you can in whatever you’re interested in and then stay in the ones you like as you go along high school.  There are cultural clubs, dancing clubs (a lot of those), academic clubs, athletic clubs and so many more. It’s also a great way to find your passion and something to put on a college application. It will look good to have extracurriculars but also to have gone beyond and participated in a club outside of school in your potential major. 

5. Create a relationship with your teachers

Personally introduce yourself to them and participate in class. As you start to get older, you will need recommendations from your teachers and talking to them freshman year will create a relationship. Plus, lots of teachers teach different classes so you may have them again! 

6. Don’t be scared to talk to upperclassmen

We’ve all been in your place before and remember how scary it was to stare at the giant clock tower and then walk into the sea of students. Talk to us if we’re in the same classes — we can give pretty good advice and opinions on teachers and specific classes. Ask us for directions, although we may be lost as well which brings me to my next point…

7. Get lost

It was the first day of my freshman year and I was frantically looking for Room 210. The bell rang and I was suddenly the only student in the hallway staring up at the sign that said Room 244. I ran into the classroom and asked the teacher where Room 210 was, scared I was going to be late. He assured me that everyone gets lost at Lane and had a student escort me to my room. My teacher didn’t even notice that I walked in five minutes late and more and more students walked in after me, also late. Lane gives students a grace period for the first week of school allowing us to be late to classes because the building is so big. 

8. Download Lane’s map on your phone

This would’ve saved me freshman year from being late to second-period health class, so I urge you to get some sort of map of Lane’s interior. The most simple way is to screenshot the map off of the website and keep that in your camera roll. Plan your route for your next class ahead of time so you’re not standing in the middle of the hallway staring at your phone. 

9. GPA

You’re stuck with your GPA for the rest of high school, so do your homework, turn in a couple of extra credit assignments and write your essays! If you’re falling behind, Lane has many resources to help you turn that around. If you need any essay help, go to the Writing Center. You can make an appointment on their website (search up Lane Tech Writing Center) and your paper is bound to be ten times better than it was before. Best of all, many English teachers offer extra credit if you go. 

10. Read your school newspaper

By reading The Champion, you are guaranteed to know about anything that is happening in Lane. We report on issues internally and other current events going on in the city. Want to know what sports games are coming up, check Page 4. Want a review on our favorite summer shows, check Page 3. Prefer digital? Check out our website. Interested in writing? Check out room 137.