| By Kira Allen | June 20, 2022 |
What do you wish you had known last September? The Bears Bulletin collected advice from KSS students and found some interesting trends to share with you!
Nines
Welcome, grade nines! We want you to know, “Don’t sweat it!” Grade nine is a perfect time to make friends, have fun trying new things, and decide what you like. Don’t be afraid to join lots of extracurriculars and stick with your favorites- I had to walk away from a few activities to discover what I really wanted to dedicate my time to.
You’ll have academic resources and social support from older students and staff such as Link Crew, Peer Tutors, Student Success, and Student Services. Unlike middle school, you’ll have a personal timetable, which you can modify even after the year has started. Zoe tells us that, “the workload and deadlines are way less than my middle school teachers said there would be.” Additionally, don’t worry about popularity, after all “it won’t be [as] dramatic as high school musical,” so focus on meeting some great people and be kind.
Tens
Double Digits already? Grade ten was special because I was used to the pace of high school, I’d discovered some of my interests, I was excited to see my friends again, and there was less academic pressure than in later grades.
That being said, keep yourself balanced. “Socialize with everyone, it’s not as scary as you think and you’ll make tons of friends,” Maazin recommends. You can also “join a lot of stuff.” “Grade 10 is a good time to try new things and join lots of clubs and sports teams,” Sophie suggests. However, no one can do everything, especially at a big school like KSS. Grade ten is also a good time to focus on the activities you find most fulfilling, and if you like, to look ahead to leadership roles for grade eleven. Andrea says, “I wish I knew to always plan ahead and don’t overload myself on activities I do not enjoy!”
Elevens
Grade eleven… suddenly you’re a leader in the school, you have more freedom with your courses, and maybe you’re more involved in your community with employment or volunteering. Our grade elevens reveal that you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself in the face of these changes. In Cathrine’s words, “Grade eleven feels like the first year that you actually have to have a plan. You don’t.” While it’s helpful to start visualizing how you want your year to go, be flexible, because your interests can change. Sadie agrees, “You don’t need to have it all figured out, just keep trying things and do what you love.” Joining clubs will let you “meet amazing people and get so many fun activities,” and Aastha particularly recommends HOSA.
However, some great advice from Aidan is, “don’t underestimate the difficulty gap between grade ten and eleven.” Grade eleven is typically more challenging in order to prepare students for the world of post-secondary. Kanzy tells us, “don't overwhelm yourself with extracurriculars. In grade eleven, academics take a really big step up in terms of workload and the difficulty of the content, and it's hard to adapt to that when you're overwhelmed with a million other extracurriculars and activities.”
Don’t forget that your teachers are still here to teach and support you, not to fail you! I know I developed much better time management skills in grade eleven, and I really liked being able to zone in on my specific interests. According to Catherine, “once you’re through it’s the best feeling in the world.”
Twelves
And now for grade twelves! Grade twelve is a unique whirlwind of finishing strong and exploring post secondary plans. Even though your academics can matter more than ever, Kenzie wants to remind you, “don’t be super stressed about exams, they’re a lot easier than you think they’ll be.”
Personally, I was super grateful for the student services team this year because they have extensive postsecondary knowledge to share with you. It’s good to start thinking about post-secondary early, but don’t spend the whole year worrying either. From Ella: “Ms. MP is phenomenal!” Lastly, even though grade twelve is important, remember that high school doesn’t decide the rest of your life, and everyone is figuring it out together.
In Sarah’s words, “grade twelve goes by faster than you could [possibly believe], make the most of it!” Other respondents echoed these ideas, including Nichole who wants to remind you that “If you didn’t do something you wish you did whether it’s a club or sport, go for it. It’s now or never.” On the subject of sports, Isi and Dash encourage you to compete even if you’ve never tried a certain sport before, and I can’t help but agree after joining soccer for the first time since it was a great way to reconnect with friends I haven’t had classes with.
What’s my advice for everyone, no matter which grade? Be yourself unapologetically, and keep challenging yourself to grow.
What advice resonates with you? Do you have other suggestions? Let us know in the comments.