TEENS OFFER LESSONS ON HIGH SCHOOL

By Amber Carter, 16; Jordan Denari, 15; Andy Deubner, 16; Kate Dolan, 17; Andrea Phillips, 17, Alex Werner, 17, Y-Press.

It's his first day at Cathedral High School. As he walks through the noisy, crowded hallways, he is overcome with a sense of fear and anticipation.

Then it hits him: He has no idea where his first class is. He finally finds it, but he's 20 minutes late.

He tries to slip in without being noticed, but the door announces his entrance with a "Click, Errrrk!" Suddenly, the eyes of about 20 freshmen and the glare of a teacher fall upon him. He gives the teacher his name and apologizes for being late. "Sit down," she says firmly. As the attention of the room shifts away from him, he lets out a sigh and thinks: "Made it, finally."

Then it dawns on him -- he has seven more classes to go.

True confession of Alex Werner, Y-Press editor

That first, intense year of high school begins in less than a month for most students. Four former freshmen who lived through it shared their tales and tips recently.

The students acknowledged that anxiety sets in well before the freshman year. With nearly 30 public and private high schools in Indianapolis alone, the question of where to enroll in high school is a big one. Students pick different schools for different reasons.

"We have a strong Irish tradition in my family, so that's why I chose Cathedral," said Chris O'Connor, a 15-year-old who enrolled at the private Lawrence Township high school. Cathedral High School, home to the Fighting Irish, has a number of employees, students and alumni with Irish roots.

Other students are influenced by their friends. Isaiah Payton, 15, picked North Central High School in Washington Township because that's where most of his buddies from Westlane Middle School were headed.

In many cases, a school's own academic or athletic prowess becomes the top drawing card.

Julianna Merlo, 15, had her eye on Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School when she was a student at Carmel's Creekside Middle School because she wants to play soccer in college.

"I went to Brebeuf because it seemed like an overall good place to be, and the soccer team was good," she said.

Brebeuf also caught the eye of Meredith Kugar, 15, but for a completely different reason. Meredith knew that a college-preparatory school would be a good start toward her goal to take all honors classes and pursue a career in medicine.

Plenty of worries

All four students said they remember the fear that crept in as the summer before ninth grade slipped away.

"Well, I expected it to be really big and scary, like the movies," Chris said.

Isaiah said he worried about getting lost in the hallways of North Central. With about 3,400 students, it's one of the state's biggest high schools.

Meredith, on the other hand, thought about her classes.

"I expected high school to just be the next step up from middle school," said Meredith, who finished eighth grade at St. Luke's Catholic School. "Definitely harder, and I expected to have to write more."

The best way to get ready for high school is to stop stressing about things you can't control, according to TeensHealth, (www.kidshealth.org), a Web site that provides answers and advice for young people.

Find an activity

The four Indianapolis high school students are a lot different from each other, but they all agreed on at least one piece of advice: Get involved.

Being on a sports team or club -- or even taking summer classes -- makes it easier to meet new people when the fall semester starts, they said.

"If you are involved in extra-curricular activities, a lot of your friends come from that because you have some of the same interests and you're spending time with those people," said Meredith, who was vice president of her freshman class and was involved in soccer, track and orchestra.

Found new friends

Chris built friendships through school activities like theater and track.

"My high school life would've been completely different" without them, he said. "I wouldn't have met anyone. I would've been that guy sitting in the corner doing nothing."

These teens also recall the pressure to make new friends and the occasional struggle with parents over curfews and other freedoms.

"I try to be more organized and stuff so I can get all my work in on time," Chris said. "I just try and make it work the best as possible by having a positive attitude."

The students agreed the anxiety starts to wear off within a few months. Soon, freshmen get used to high school.

"The first semester, I was freaking out about grades and everything," Julianna said. "But now I just feel really comfortable where I am, and I feel like Brebeuf is my home."

And that sense of belonging is what makes high school special.

"Be yourself and do your own dance," Chris said. "Do whatever you want to 'cause there's gonna be someone who likes the same stuff as you.

"And if you have one good friend, that's all you need, so don't try and be something that you're not," he added.

Teens also shouldn't limit themselves to just one clique if they have lots of different interests.

For example, Chris enjoys theater and the kids who are involved in it with him, but he hangs out with people from all groups.

Start off strong

The students also emphasized that schoolwork shouldn't get lost in all of the new social changes.

"Good grades will really open up a lot of doors to your next years of high school and college," Meredith said.

And a freshman's grades matter -- a lot.

Colleges and employers judge students on all high school grades and class choices, according to the Princeton Review, a testing preparation and training group.

Weak freshman grades can hurt the grade-point average, even if students do well in subsequent years, according to the Princeton Review's Web site, (www.princetonreview.com).

Above all, Julianna said, students should remember to enjoy themselves.

"Be happy to go to high school," she said, "and be excited because it's a lot of fun."

It's late in the school year. The freshman walks through the doors and finds the usual chaos. On the way to his first- period class, his buddies are the only thing on his mind. He walks into the room with time to spare, greets the teacher and finds his favorite seat.

Looking back at his first day, he laughs to himself. He had nothing to worry about; he just had something to look forward to.

-- Alex Werner, Y-Press editor testimonial

REPORTERS: George Glass, 11; Susannah Sharpless, 13; Caroline Sprunger, 12.

Copyright 2006 Y-Press

Helpful books for the Class of 2010

"Countdown to College: 21 'To Do Lists' for High School: Step-by-Step Strategies for 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Graders," by Valerie Pierce with Cheryl Rilly, ($9.95, United Writers Press Inc., 2005)

"100 Words Every High School Freshman Should Know," by editors of The American Heritage Dictionaries, ($4.95, Houghton Mifflin, 2004)*

"Please Don't Kill the Freshman: A Memoir," by Zoe Trope ($7.99, HarperTempest, 2004)*

"The Real High School Handbook: How to Survive, Thrive, and Prepare for What's Next," by Susan Abel Lieberman, ($13, Mariner Books, 1997)

"Where Should I Sit at Lunch? The Ultimate 24/7 Guide to Surviving the High School Years," by Harriet S. Mosatche and Karen Unger, ($14.95, The McGraw Hill Companies Inc., 2006)*

*Available through Indianapolis-Marion County Public Libraries (www.imcpl.org)