After going through just about four years of high school, many seniors have tons of advice to give. They’ve been through so many different types of classes, teachers, and clubs, that they have advice for incoming or even current students on the high school experience.

John Woods, a senior at Wilde Lake High School, used to be really into sports. He played football, lacrosse, track, and more. However, when he did the shows at Wilde Lake freshmen year, he realized he had a newfound passion for theatre.

He didn’t participate in the shows during his sophomore year because of after-school sports practices and games, but didn’t realize just how much he would miss it.

“When I was playing football,  I was thinking about theatre the whole season,” said Woods. “Junior year was when I was like yeah, I have to do theatre.” People can change immensely from one year to the next, and by trying new things, students can discover a whole new world they might be interested in, just like John did.

Many of the seniors have agreed that freshmen students should get the hard courses over with sooner rather than later.

Senior Efe Unuigbe recommends students to take their required classes, such as Biology and PE/Health, first. “That way, as you get older, you can take more classes that you really enjoy doing,” she said. “This can be helpful because as teens get older, their likes tend to change slightly. Plus, by participating in clubs and sports, students may discover new things they like doing.”

There are many club opportunities outside of school as well, so trying out new things before selecting classes for the following year is definitely an option. Just at Wilde Lake, there are at least thirteen different sports offered, as well as clubs such as drama, robotics, and more. One senior recommends getting involved because at Wilde Lake, there are new opportunities everywhere.

According to seniors, it’s also a good idea to challenge yourself, but not so much so that it stresses you out. Senior Andrew Van Tassell suggests to students “to not overload on classes, but to be sure to challenge yourself,” he said. “There are many types of classes, from on grade to AP. And remember, it’s always an option to start on one level and move higher or lower.”

Romeil Johnson suggests that students talk to people who took the class first and get their input on it.“That way, you can know the course load and what to expect ahead of time,” he said.

Some of the most recommended classes are any of the fine arts classes. Senior PJ Hargraves has loved being apart of fine arts. “They’re fun and you can meet so many new people through them,” she said. “In fine arts classes, such as chorus, theatre, dance, and art, there are more opportunities to interact with your peers and get to know your classmates.”

Overall, there is one thing every senior has agreed upon, and that’s that each student make their own, personal experience in the class a great one. By putting in effort and trying your best, you make the class more enjoyable.

Along with that, Avery Trinh believes that having a supporting teacher who wants to teach is a big part of it. “A great teacher and a safe and encouraging environment where you feel welcome and feel like you belong,” said Trinh.

All of these elements can have a significant impact on a student throughout their four year journey through high school. From the teacher to what’s being taught, all of the theatre classes at Wilde Lake have had an enormous impact on John Woods, and has bettered his life in multiple ways. Theatre helped improve his grades, allowing him now to go to  college specifically for theatre.

If he could tell his freshman self, or any freshman out there any piece of advice it would be to “Be more serious,” he said.“Think more about your future rather than what looks cool.  When I started to take theatre more seriously and made more of a plan, It really helped me learn better time management skills especially when I had to deal with memorizing lines and doing homework.”