A How To Guide For High Schoolers - What to expect & Do
- Yumna Syeda Raza
- Sep 10, 2023
- 5 min read
Table of contents:
Your First Impression
Guidance
Building your Resume
My Blueprint
Things to always have at hand
This guide is best for 9th graders, or for students who are new to an Ontario High school. You could also check this out when you are starting a new grade (i.e. 9, 10, 11, or 12) or a new semester for some fresh tips.
I am currently in 10th grade, and high school is way different from elementary, especially for me, who studied in a Private Islamic School. Let's skip the long text and get to the useful part. What should you as a High Schooler expect and do?
Your first Impression:
Apart from keeping up with your hygiene and trying to look appropriate for school, your profile plays a HUGE role.
Always greet your teachers, show them respect, and be a good student. You should always be kind, why wouldn't you be? Greeting them upon entering class and showing them respect makes them understand that you are one of the very few students who actually care about them spending their time teaching you. And of course, always stay atop of your work and try your best to get a good grade in class. Now when you actually need an extension or some extra help, your teacher wont be scolding you around. In fact, they will be extra generous with you compared to others.
My Personal Experience: I always respected my civics teacher when every single student disrespected her and never paid attention. She would be teaching to a class of one. I always greeted her, did my work, and focused in class. On the last day before winter break, before i left the class, she told me, "Yumna, you know, you are the best student in this class, really. You always do your work and respect me." Its not wrong or bias, i did all my work, focused, and tried my best. It really pays off by doing these simple acts. For now i have the highest grade in the class, a 99.
Guidance:
Your Guidance office is your second home for help related or unrelated to your courses:
If you dislike your elective course, or are having trouble in the required course, you can ask your guidance counsellor for help to get your class switched.
If you are not getting the best grades, your guidance counsellor can help you out by getting you a tutor/peer tutor, or help you out in other ways.
If you are going through anything personal, you can talk with them. In my school at least, everything you tell them is confidential until if it fits the following criteria:
You want to hurt someone
Someone wants to hurt you
You want to hurt yourself
In that case, they will get you in contact with someone who can help.
Building up your resume:
High school is a great way to build your resume! Here are __ opportunities you can take to build your resume, and a template to get started if you have not already!
Join in-school clubs and events
Create a club: I have a club, although it looks simple, you learn a LOT of responsibility, leadership, critical thinking, advertisement, finances, and people management.
Volunteering Opportunities provided by Guidance: High school guidance classrooms provide students with various unique volunteering opportunities. Already completed your 40 hours? If you manage to get a lot more hours, you there are scholarships available for post secondary education.
SHSM: The specialist high skills majours program allow students to choose a certain sector (sectors vary from school to school) in which they provide certifications, and field trios based on your sector. There are requirements although. For instance, I applied for the grade 11 Health and Wellness sector, in which I'll receive CPR and AED training, first aid, infection control, WHIMIS, field trips, 2 credits worth of coop in or out the school, and potential scholarships! Talk with you guidance councillor to learn more!
My blueprint:
Many schools use https://myblueprint.ca/, an amazing online platform, your secondary school home. You are able to:
Select and submit courses for course selection, and view your previous grades
Create resumes, cover letters, budgets, portfolios, and goals (with guides)
Apply for summer school or gap year for incomplete or failed courses
Find useful resources and guides on a variety of topics in relation to school and work
Learning about most occupations, and comparing your compatibility with them
Complete quizzes to find your personality and learning styles
Track your progress on meeting the requirements to graduate high school:
40 hours of community involvement
Passing all your classes with at least 50%
Completing and passing the OSSLT
17 compulsory and 13 elective courses as per Grade 9's starting in 2024
Completing 2 online credits (Or you can opt out with no consequences)
Things you should always have at hand:
Apart from the basic school supplies, there are other things you should have at handy with you that may come handy when in need. For schools supplies, you should always have:
Lead pencils & Lead: Avoiding the need of using a sharpener, lead pencils remain sharp and even come with coloured leads! 🖍
Good Quality Eraser: I always make sure i am using a 'vinyl' eraser. They are one of the best qualities, and erase pencil like it was never there in the beginning. I use Studio's 3 Pack Vinyl erasers that you can get from your local Dollar store. ✏
Sticky Pads: And not just any sticky pads, opt for the ones that come in different sizes and layouts. They come in handy when doing novel studies, writing quick notes on your worksheets, bookmarking or organising your notes, and perfect for writing notes in a textbook without ruining it! 📑
Geometry Sets: Perfect for Math class (And Technology Design or Arts), it includes the basic rulers, protractors, compasses, and triangles. 📐
Coloured Ball point pens and correction tape: Ink pens or gel pens although are good quality, they can smudge, and are not very smooth to write with. Instead of liquid whiteout, use correction tape as it does not need to dry and is ready to write on right away. 🖊
Notebooks (Lined and Graphed): Its best to have a notebook to write notes, do your homework, or have extra paper handy. Graph paper is best for Maths, like graphing and/or sketching. 📝
Apart from school supplies, always make sure to have:
Bandages and Alcohol pads: You never know you can get hurt, or something unexpected happens. You can even end up as the hero for someone who got hurt! 🦸
At least 10 dollars: A day without lunch, you can buy some. A day without a ride, take the bus. Emergencies are unexpected, so it's best to be prepared. 💵
Lotion, a comb, and extra socks: It's good to have some cream when your skin gets dry. A comb or some extra hijab pins are good for some last minute fix ups. Especially in Canadian Winters and Summers, precipitation does often occur in which you can get your socks wet. Staying too long in wet clothing will cause you to get sick. 🧦
Considering these basic criteria, you can elevate your high school year, academically and physically. Most of which i wished i knew in 9th grade. Hope this helps you!
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