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Our Best Advice for Your First Year of High School

It's your first year of high school! To help you adjust to ninth grade, read our best advice on getting involved, improving your time management, and more.

Welcome to high school! These next four years will be a fun, challenging, nerve-wracking roller coaster ride as you navigate new classes, new friendships, new responsibilities, and many more changes as you prepare for the college admission process. To make this transition a little easier, we’ve collected our best advice for high school freshmen all in one easy-to-access place. Learn what to expect and what you should (and shouldn’t) do to make your first year of high school the best it can be. And if you have any questions or need more help, feel free to get in touch with us. Good luck with freshman year—you've got this! 

Surviving freshman year of high school

Getting involved in activities

Developing great time management skills

Taking your schoolwork seriously

Learning about advanced courses

Thinking about the future

Want a preview of what the rest of high school has in store? Download our College Prep Checklist for All 4 Years of High School and make a plan for a successful future!

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About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. 

You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites!

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