High school can sometimes be difficult for students, especially when you are the low guy on the totem pole. Here are five tips that will help students survive sophomore year:

• Get involved: If you are interested in a class or activity get involved in them. The people that complain about high school being a bad experience are the people that do not get involved in anything. I did not consider high school fun until I joined something that I loved doing.

• Make friends: Even if you do not like the teacher or the class, you can still have fun with the people in the class with you. If you do not have at least one friend, then the class is not going to be fun because you have no one to talk to.

• Be respectful toward your teachers: I know it is a rule in every class, but it is there for a reason. If you are not nice to the teacher, they will not like you much as a student. The teacher will just be hard on you and you will not be happy in that class. A teacher’s attitude can make or break your day. Dozens of students complain about a teacher not liking them or a teacher being mean to them, but they do not realize that all of that could disappear if they just respected their teachers.

• Be organized: I cannot tell you how many times an easy 100 grade turned into a bad zero because I lost the assignment. The more organized you are the easier your life will be in school. If you are organized you will not have to stress out while searching your book bag for an assignment or worry about forgetting to do your homework.

• Do not be afraid of upperclassmen: It might be intimidating to have classes and wander the halls with upperclassmen, but don’t be afraid because most upperclassmen will not try to pick a fight with you.