1. Congrats! You’re finally an upperclassman:

After two years of being considered an underclassman, you have made it to the top — well, kinda. With two years under your belt, you know kind of a lot about the school. The best lunch spots, fastest routes, the good teachers, and the not-so-good teachers. Take advantage of this.

2. Take the ACT not once, but maybe two or three times.

The ACT is not a hard test. But it is scary, and very draining. Taking it once or twice or even three times is the way to go, and most people’s scores improve after the first time, so take it again! At worst, your score will decrease and you can just use your original score.

3. Get involved if you have not already!

Colleges love to see involved students. As you begin to look and seek through which college is the best for you, it is a good idea to join a club, get ALL of your service learning hours, and maybe even try out for your favorite varsity sport.

4. Find a job

As a teenager, you cannot underestimate how rewarding it is to have your own money. Money gives freedom, and a job is the perfect way to get the money. Having money has been great for us because going out with friends is always covered cost-wise. If you have money, you and your friends can do so much more when you hang out. Having a job will never be a regret.

5. Look through college mail

Even though it all seems like junk spam mail, all of that college mail you receive is very resourceful. It can provide you with many cool opportunities. These include information about free college application, scholarship chances, schools that may find you interesting as a student, and more. Keep checking out all the mail they send!

6. Stress

“The key to winning is poise under stress,”- Paul Brown (Former NFL coach).

As teenagers, our lives are bound to be stress filled. With seven classes plus extra things outside the classroom, life is not going to be a walk in the park. Stress is going to come and try to take over your life. But what we need to do is take it in stride, push through our problems, and succeed. Push yourself during the school week, and relax with friends and family during the weekend.

7. Become a president or captain

As upperclassmen, we are looked at to be an example. While we do not know everything, there are many things to teach the freshmen and sophomores, to help them in school or sports or life in general. Take this into consideration and share your expertise.