7 Tips to Help your Student Transition to High School  

High school is a new and exciting chapter in every student’s life, but change isn’t always easy. Your child may experience different feelings as they get closer to transitioning from middle school to high school. It’s not uncommon for them to have feelings of fear and anxiety. As a parent, there are several things you can do to help this transition for your child.

Here are seven tips to help your student transition to high school:

Visit the School

The first step in a smooth transition from middle school to high school is to take a visit to the new campus. Many schools offer group tours, open houses, or shadow days. King’s High School, a Christian High School in Shoreline, WA, offers potential students the opportunity to become a Knight for a Day. When students attend a Knight for a Day they get a glimpse into what it will be like to be a student at King’s High School. With a visit to your student’s high school, they will gain confidence for their first day.

Go to Orientation

High School orientation is a great way for your student to meet their peers and see where all their classes are. By the time of orientation your child will have their schedule and can physically walk to each classroom, easing any stress they may have about getting lost on their first day. At orientation students will also meet upperclassman. This is a huge advantage for making friends and having other students to lean on.

Get Involved

One of the best ways to help your child transition to high school is to have them pick 1-2 extracurricular activities. King’s High School in Seattle, WA offers students a variety of extracurricular activities from athletics to DECA and drama. When your student gets involved in a group, they will have built in friends as they start high school.

Create a Schedule

Your student’s homework load, extracurricular activities, and social life will likely become more time consuming as a high schooler. Creating and sticking to a schedule will help them balance all these new and exciting things. Check out these helpful tips on managing your schedule in high school.

Strategically Choose Classes

A balanced course load is crucial for your high school student’s academic success. Meet with a high school counselor to choose classes that will compliment one another. If you can, try and avoid stacking difficult classes all in one quarter. Another way to create a balanced schedule is to place difficult classes when they have fewer extracurricular activities going on. This way they will have more time to focus on challenging coursework.

Encourage Accountability

In high school it’s time for your child to learn independence, accountability, and how to advocate for themselves. Taking ownership of their homework and schedule will provide valuable life lessons as they continue in their academic journey. You can begin to teach them to own their decisions and learn from mistakes.

Pray

Before even stepping foot on to campus for that first day of school begin praying for your child’s high school experience. You can pray for their friends, teachers, and classes. Inviting God into this transition will ease any fears and let you and your child know that they are not alone. There is so much power in prayer, and this might be the most important thing you do.

We would love to help you make your child’s transition to high school as smooth as possible, schedule a tour today!