Senior Advice from the Class of 2019
The Pixel Journal warmly congratulates the OHS Class of 2019! Your class has played an enormous role in shaping the classroom experience and student life at this school, and each of you will be missed next year. We wish you all the best of luck as you take your next, exciting steps—be it college, a gap year, or something else entirely!
Before our seniors departed, Pixel Journal editor-in-chief Hannah Yang collected some of their advice for surviving and thriving in high school. Here’s what they had to say:
On academics
Maverick Helmer (George Washington University): Utilize the academic resources available.
W. Raphael McKerley-Geier (Vanderbilt University): This is hard, because classes require different balances of time spent understanding material vs planning homework vs doing homework. Honestly, you can maybe get through school without planning ahead too much. Getting assignments in late and missing emails and due dates will negatively affect your grade more than doing work of slightly lower quality. Really make sure that you know what's happening in the class and know what's going on. As everyone will tell you, go to office hours semi-frequently. The OHS teachers are amazing and they are your best resource.
Charlotte Novy (Vanderbilt University): Get to know your teachers! They're all great, interesting people—and they're going to write your letters of recommendation for college, which are super important when you attend online school!
Sarah Pertsemlidis (Massachusetts Institute of Technology): Don’t be afraid to take tough courses! I wish I’d taken on more in freshman year because I think I could have handled it and it would have opened up more courses that I was interested in sooner!
On the OHS experience
W. Raphael McKerley-Geier (Vanderbilt University): Keep informed about things. I didn't know there was a bulletin or half of what was going on for a long time. Keep in the know and read all of your emails, and you'll see that OHS has a ton of cool stuff.
Charlotte Novy (Vanderbilt University): Stay involved! The OHS community is super unique. You'll come out of this school with an amazing experience so few have had, and being involved at OHS can make for good resume-building and interesting college essays.
Sarah Pertsemlidis (Massachusetts Institute of Technology): If you have the chance to be a peer tutor, take it!
On friendships and relationships
Maverick Helmer (George Washington University): Build a social network both inside and outside of OHS.
W. Raphael McKerley-Geier (Vanderbilt University): Don't back away from online friendships or relationships. They're cool and can still offer a lot. Even if you aren’t social and don't want to spend lots of time with people, I would say you should give having friends a shot. Choose your close friends wisely, and have a few people whose opinions you actually find really valuable. Being a good person with the traits you want to have is a lot easier when you hang out with good people you appreciate. In an online environment, it's easy to drift away from people (I know I have). Use the power of the online space to actively pick and choose people you like. Actively try to talk to people and text first. Also, I think that long-term romantic relationships are cool and legitimately fulfilling. Don't shy away from them, but know that missing that person a lot will likely be part of it.
Charlotte Novy (Vanderbilt University): Go to meetups as often as possible. For me, it was easy to remove myself from the community and to think that I wasn't missing out if I skipped meetups like S@S and Pixel Gathering, but going back to these always reminded me how fun it was to see everyone in person and reestablish bonds with friends you'll see throughout the year on AC and Skype. :)
On the college application process
Maverick Helmer (George Washington University): START EARLY.
W. Raphael McKerley-Geier (Vanderbilt University): Don't sweat it, you'll do great. If you don't feel as though you have a "unique" talent or are doing something flashy, you should honestly probably go do something to stick on your application.
Charlotte Novy (Vanderbilt University): Find the right balance of schools for you. I applied to so many and it became overwhelming and impersonal. I got so stressed about not getting into schools that I ended up applying to many without knowing if I'd even like them. Gut feelings are so important. If you choose to apply ED or EA, make sure you really feel comfortable with the school. In retrospect, my ED school was not my best fit, but I was feeling rushed so I chose to apply ED. Patience is a virtue!
Sarah Pertsemlidis (Massachusetts Institute of Technology): I know it’s hard, but try to figure out who you are before college apps are due and then channel everything you’ve learned about yourself into your applications and essays. And talk to the college counselors!!! I regret not talking to them more!
On college admissions essays
Maverick Helmer (George Washington University): Write about something you are passionate about. Create a common theme throughout your application and highlight that when writing your essay.
W. Raphael McKerley-Geier (Vanderbilt University): The important thing is to seem really unique. The unique stuff you do should almost be secondary to the unique way you look at things. I think one good thing to center your essay on is a specific insight you have, especially something that brings different academic pursuits or worldly experiences together. Try to say something about a specific experience you had that gave you insight into something academic/the world.
Charlotte Novy (Vanderbilt University): Find your angle! I wrote so many essays before I found what would best represent who I am. Also, know your audience. Make sure you come across well and that you are clear with your writing—it’s like storytelling.
On high school
Maverick Helmer (George Washington University): "Comparison is the thief of joy" —Teddy Roosevelt.
W. Raphael McKerley-Geier (Vanderbilt University): Get stuff in on time.
Charlotte Novy (Vanderbilt University): High school goes by faster than you'd expect. Appreciate the OHS experience while you can. :)
Sarah Pertsemlidis (Massachusetts Institute of Technology): Don’t forget to have fun! (and by “have fun”, I mean “join the Comedy Club”)
Responses edited for clarity and brevity. Comic by Nathan Pyle.