Dear Upper School

*As seen in the May 2025 edition of the Bagpiper. Written by Co-Editor-In-Chief Taylor Mattson ’25.

If I could go back and tell my freshman self one thing, it would be this: high school goes by faster than you think. Each year has its own challenges, surprises, and lessons, but knowing what to expect can make all the difference. Whether you’re a freshman just stepping into high school or a senior counting down the days until graduation, here is some advice to make the most of the short years you have here.

 

Freshman: The Year of Firsts

Welcome to high school, the land of confusing hallways, scary presentations, and more extracurricular options and clubs than you know what to do with. The biggest mistake freshmen can make? Thinking four years is a long time.

Get involved early. Join clubs, sports, or activities that genuinely interest you, not just ones that you think will look good on your college applications.

Enjoy the fun final projects in physics, feeling tiny walking through the Upper School hallways, and the constant sense of being the youngest because those moments are where it all begins.

Friend groups will change more times than you can count, so don’t be afraid to branch out and make friends in varying social circles. Academically, this is your foundation year, so build strong study habits now, and you’ll thank yourself later.

And one more thing, upperclassmen are not as scary as they seem. I remember sitting in the back of the chapel as a freshman, feeling like the seniors were full-grown intimidating adults, and now I look back and realize, they were just kids, too.

 

Sophomores: The “In-Between” Year

Sophomore year can feel like you’re in limbo. You’re no longer the new kid in the division, but you’re also not an upperclassman. This is the perfect time to experiment and explore. Take classes that challenge you, start prepping for your SAT’s, and step up in clubs and sports. Enjoy moving up a few rows in assembly and chapel, a small but symbolic moment that makes it feel like you are getting somewhere.

Chemistry is no joke, and it probably will humble more people than just me, but that challenge taught me how to study in a whole new way. Be sure to have a challenge class like this, too.

If freshman year was about getting comfortable and finding your place, sophomore year is about growth. Don’t let the sophomore slump get to you. It’s easy to coast, but stay focused and you will thank yourself later.

 

Juniors: The Pressure Cooker

Welcome to the most stressful (yet rewarding) year of high school. This is when reality sets in with grades, leadership roles, and college applications as they all start to feel very real.

The key to surviving? Time management. Between balancing as many AP or IB classes as you can, prepping for the SAT, and attending your first college counseling meetings, it starts to feel like every test, paper, and resume bullet point matters more than ever.

And just when your schedule is overflowing, prom rolls around, your first one, and you get a small reminder that high school is still meant to be fun, too.

If you can get ahead of SAT/ACT prep, keep a calendar for deadlines, and don’t be afraid of extra help, you will be setting yourself up for success. Burnout is very real, though, so find a balance between school, social life, and self-care.

Also, if you haven’t already, build strong relationships with your teachers because having someone you know you can count on for a strong letter of recommendation will matter more than you think.

 

Seniors: The Finale

Senior year is a whirlwind of lasts: the last first day, last football season, last homecoming, last pep rally. You’ll blink and suddenly it’s your final prom, Senior Service Day, and the Board of Trustees dinner, and everything starts to feel a little more like closure.

As your friends start getting accepted to college, you start to wonder how the last four years went by so fast.

Even the seemingly silly things, like jumping in the lake after graduating, will soon become core memories. It is so easy to get caught up in nostalgia and feeling like it’s over, but stay focused, even when it seems impossible, and enjoy these moments.

College apps take more time than you think, so knock them out early to avoid last-minute stress. Second-semester senioritis will tempt you beyond belief, but don’t slack off beyond your means because colleges still check those grades.

The most important thing about senior year is to enjoy every moment, even if it sounds cliche. High school doesn’t last forever and while you might be counting down the days now, you will look back and miss it when it is over.