Seniors were once freshmen.  They have learned a few things over the four years.   Here is some advice that seniors and some teachers would give to new freshmen coming to West. The advice is followed by some of the favorite classes West seniors have taken and recommend to others.

Advice to Freshmen

Do your homework and don’t get far behind. – Halle Kramerich

Branch out. You will not have fun if you don’t make new friends and just keep to yourself. – Madelyn Hurley

Try the lunch food.  It’s really tasty. – Kristin Shear

Don’t keep worrying about your social life.  No one cares. – Kayla Dawson

Don’t just go along with your friends. – Hanna Ackerman

Find a good group to be friends with. – Jack Carter

Stay in school. – James Golden.

Don’t stress out about four years of school.  It goes by way faster than you think. – Samuel Welsh.

Stay positive, motivate yourself, and most importantly, have fun. – Milan Miskovic

Do as much as you can to make your high school experience YOURS. There are going to be many other people that go with the norms and mainstream, and if that’s for you, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want to wear your own style of clothing, listen to your own style of music, or have your own set of beliefs, then do it. On a similar note, there are so many committees and positions available for people to plan school events, dances, and assemblies. If you have ideas and want them to happen, then get involved in those groups.  You won’t regret it. – Nolan Adam

Don’t worry too much.  Everything will be alright. – Ryan Rajaballey

Get involved in extracurricular activities and have fun with the whole experience of transitioning into a new chapter of your lives. – Matthew Lehman

Don’t take any moment for granted. The four years really do go by extremely fast so appreciate them and enjoy everything that high school has to offer. – Caitlin Vanoss

Always complete the homework and in-class assignments because they will only make things easier in the long run. – Mackenzie Rakoczy

Get involved and try new things! Also–do your homework. Your teachers aren’t trying to trick you. The homework will help you learn the information that is on the tests. – Mrs.  Hilbert

The year gets easier as it goes on. – Xavier Suchorabski

Enjoy it, participate in the activities, and don’t care what people think, because in the end it doesn’t matter. – Hailey Whittington

Don’t wait until senior year to take fun classes. You never know what could happen with your schedule so take as many of the ones you find interesting as you can. – Amanda Anderson

Put effort into getting involved. Do as much as possible for and with your school. Leave a legacy behind and make sure people remember who you are. Inspire others to be better people. – Anthony Sherman

Don’t be scared to branch out and meet new people. There are so many nice and fun people to meet that may be outside your usual bubble. – Payton Wright

Start thinking about college sooner rather than later and just know that throughout high school.  Friends will change, don’t change yourself to fit in with someone you no longer fit with. – Kathleen Jennings

Don’t listen to everyone else; do what YOU please. College isn’t always the right answer; there is no right answer. Speak your mind and stick up for yourself. Trust your teachers. – Jessica Guedel

Organization is key! Freshman year grades can affect you your senior year more than you may think. – Kaitlyn Robertson

Get your grades up early so you don’t have to worry about your GPA later. And do the little things on the field and in the classroom. – Mickey Ceh

Give yourself time to adjust. Be prepared for change. – Elizabeth Kikkert

Always do your work. – Peyton King.

Make every moment last because it flies by! – Megan Guedel

Make real-life friends at school. Join a club or take the time to say “hello” to someone you haven’t met before, someone who is in a class with you, or someone you just notice doing something that you like to do, then introduce yourself. Just making that introduction is a great ice-breaker. The more connected you are to people at school, the better you will feel about coming to school here, and the more fun you’ll have. – Mrs. Floyd

Learn how to balance school and friends. Don’t get caught up being friends with the wrong people.  Be a good person and patient and your people will find you. – Kyler Smaga

Stop apologizing for who you are. Do the thing you’ve been putting off. – Nickolas Gonzalez

Make some new friends. – Garry McDermott

You don’t have to stay friends with someone just because you have been for a while. Stop being fake. – Ellie Slowiak

Don’t run in the halls, scream, or disrupt class. You aren’t cool doing that.  I promise. –  Braeden Geisler

Enjoy the time here because it flies by. – Brianna Smith

Don’t care about what other people have to say about you, and don’t make dangerous decisions. – Olivia Smith

Try new activities to meet new people.  Visit the library.  – Mrs. Bromann-Bender

Favorite Classes

Criminal Justice

Forensic Science 2

Early Childhood Education (3 votes)

Ceramics

AP Human Geography

Co-op

Personal Finance

Career Ready Math with Mr. Stephens

Library advisory

English with Mr. Guimond

Introduction to the Criminal Justice system

AP Psychology with Mr. Bowden

AP US History with Mr. Render

College Writing with Mrs. Hilbert

Honors Biology with Mrs. Horn

Auto Shop

Calculus

AP Psychology

English 4 with Mrs. Dunn

German 2

English 3 with Mr. P

Animal Science

Criminal Justice with Mr. DeFrank! (2 votes)

Honors Physics with Mr. Willis

AP Psychology with Mrs. Krippel

Physics

Criminal Justice

Cooking

Teaching internship 2

Psychology

French

Engineering Physics

Guitar Studio

History

Astronomy

Pre-Calculus

Chemistry with Mrs. Prieto

Meteorology

Why these classes?  Nolan Adam said, “The mock trial in Introduction to the Criminal Justice System was what confirmed my love for law. AP Psychology is also up there, as Mr. Bowden was a phenomenal teacher and mentor. Other shout outs go to Mr. Render (APUSH), Mrs. Hilbert (College Writing), and Mrs. Horn (Honors Biology).” Mackenzie Racoczy added, “English 4 with Mrs. Dunn was great because that class never really had a boring moment.”

Favorite Sports and Activities

Seniors also suggested many of the activities they loved being a part of at West. Here are the top choices.

Yearbook

The Preschool Class

Gamers’ Club (2 votes)

Football (6 votes)

Basketball

Pre-lockdown Freshman Year

Tennis

Volleyball (2 votes)

Breakfast in the Cafeteria

Scholastic Bowl – “Try it out if you like Trivia,  It’s an amazing experience.” 

Waterpolo (2 votes)

Chess Club

Cross Country

Warrior Way

School Dances

Spirit Weeks

Wrestling

International Club

Marching Band

Cheerleading (2 votes)

Photography

Best Buddies

Student Council

Cross Country

Guitar Studio

Soccer

Dance Team

Working Out

Social

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