As the 2025-2026 school year comes to an end, seniors are leaving behind a part of their life, and on their way to start a new one. Juniors are excited. Already envisioning their senior year. Sophomores are wondering where all the time has gone, knowing that they’ll be juniors soon. And freshmen, who have adjusted to high school and are ready to move forward into their sophomore year with confidence.
High school flies by, one minute you’re a freshman and the next you’re a senior. These four years allow people to find themselves. You’ll lose friends, go through breakups and experience the hardships that life throws at you. But you’ll bounce back and become a better version of yourself.
We asked some students around the school if they had some advice for the classes younger than them. The sophomore class, as they step into their third year of high school, are passing down what they have learned for the freshman class.
To start off the long list of advice, sophomore Penelope Greep said, “Study for the AP test,” and don’t take more AP classes than you can handle.
Sophomore Samia McGhee told incoming sophomores to “Don’t slack off.”
Shamira Carthan, a sophomore, said, “Don’t be afraid to email your teachers, take challenging courses and always turn in your work on time.”
“Make sure you study, and stay on top of your work,” added sophomore Michelle Walker.
As her piece of advice, sophomore Christiana Adenuga said, “Level up your schedule with a few AP or Honors classes, but don’t try to do everything. Pick two or three things you actually care about, outside of class, and go all in on those. Keep your GPA up, for sure, but please don’t forget to have a life. It makes your college apps look way more human, and it keeps you from losing your mind before junior year even gets to you.”
Natalie Coleman, a sophomore, also gave this advice along with urging future students to “involve yourself in school clubs and activities. Also, never miss a day of chemistry.”
Kai Lee, a sophomore, said, “Stay on top of your school work but also make time for yourself. Everything doesn’t have to be about school. Make new friends and have fun.”
It’s safe to say that completing school work in a timely manner is one of the most important aspects of being a sophomore.
The juniors also pitched some advice. With the SAT and ACT curved into their year, they have plenty of advice to give for future juniors.
Junior Ademilola Alli said, “Stay on top of your work. Don’t slack off.”
Junior Fatou Lunda advised, “Don’t take high school for granted, have fun.” She also added her surprise when her high school journey seemingly flew by too fast. “I didn’t expect to be a junior that quickly. I was just a freshman.”
“Do your work ‘cause it’s gonna matter,” advised junior Ada Alday.
In a message, Emani Burt, a junior, urged incoming juniors to “Work really hard, get the best grades you can, because colleges look at the junior year grades of students applying. Also, take driving seriously, don’t give up on it, work for your license as soon as you can!”
The seniors, as they give their farewells, also advise students on what to do when they fill their position. Senior Anika Izenbart, gave her advice: “Take a class for yourself so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Make sure you go to all of the events and take advantage of the perks of being a senior, because you are never going to get those chances back. Do your work. Even if you do it badly, it will earn you more points than not doing it at all.”
A group of seniors gave their advice: “Work hard the first semester of senior year.”
“Don’t let senioritis get to you. Especially the first semester.”
“Have fun during your high school career.”
As her piece of advice, senior Makalya Scales advised: “Don’t be lazy, because this is one of the most important years of your high school career. Colleges look at your grades, look at your attendance, so don’t slack up. Just keep pushing until the end of the year.”
Senior London Linsey urged you to “Have motivation. Senioritis is way worse than junioritis. Come to school! And make sure you have a good schedule.”
Senior Alexa Orozco said, “As the year is coming to an end, especially for my last school year being here at H-F, a piece of advice I’d give to incoming seniors is to always, always be involved, have fun while there is time because time really flies by without realizing it. Also, build great close friendships with underclassmen, especially Freshmen, because they’re new to the school, so being a role model towards them and welcoming them to their journey to high school is really significant to them, because they have someone to look up to for anything.”
All in all, high school isn’t about being perfect, it’s about becoming who you want to be. You’re going to mess up sometimes and that’s okay. What matters most is that you keep going with your best effort even when things get hard.
