Your questions, answered
High school. Some of you reading this may have one, two, maybe three years of experience. Although, there’s quite a few new faces around Lincoln.
This period can be confusing, and there’s a difference in opinions on whether high school is the best or the worst four years of one’s life. For all the new students at Lincoln, we want to create a place where you can go for advice from real students.
We know changing schools can be a struggle. Consequently, we created an advice column for all Lincoln students to use when you don’t want to ask a peer or counselor.
This column is written by two Lincoln students, Annaliese Dunn (senior) and Kayla Rae (sophomore). In the future, this is going to be Q and A for anyone who needs the help. You can submit questions to [email protected] or through our Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat, @cardinaltimes.
Don’t worry about asking a question that you don’t think we’re fit to answer; we’re more than willing to have a more qualified student to answer your question.
Since school is just picking up and you new students are just learning the routine of Lincoln, we thought it would be adequate to create ten tips for incoming freshmen:
| Dress code: The dress code at Lincoln is relaxed. PPS has recently changed their expectations on dress code into something that is meant to not target girls and their clothing choices. The students here are used to pretty much anything, so don’t be embarrassed to express yourself with wacky clothes. If you feel comfortable in your outfit, then we’d say go ahead. | Flex: Freshman are technically not allowed to leave campus during flex. Flex is mostly used to finish the homework you didn’t do for your next classes. Teachers are there to help you with homework and assignments. If you’re going to use flex to take a test, make sure you get to that class as soon as possible. |
| Full IB vs. Partial IB: This is a difficult choice many students contemplate. While it might seem far away, even when forecasting for sophomore year you should take this into account. Getting the IB diploma is difficult task. It requires a somewhat rigid schedule, and many students who do full IB take nothing but IB classes their junior and senior year. If you are up for challenge, we say go for it. If you want a more flexible schedule, then we suggest partial, as you can still test IB but you have no requirements to fulfill. It is good to begin thinking about freshman year, but at this point nothing has to be set in stone. | Eating off campus: Not scary at all. Nearby places where you can eat and make it back to school in a comfortable amount of time include: Starbucks, Bellagios, Kinara, “East side,” “West Side,” (convenience stores on those two sides of Lincoln) and the burrito cart at S.W. 12th and Yamhill. Though, fair warning, it is extremely easy to spend too much money on snacks and coffee. |
| Lunch seating: There are certain places where freshmen can and cannot eat lunch. Places you can go: turf field, cafeteria, bleachers, anywhere behind the school, on the ground in main hall or in front of the auditorium. No-go areas: junior and senior hall, the patio or upstairs. Absolutely DO NOT bring a lawn chair to school until you are a junior or senior. | Clubs: There is a club for everyone at Lincoln. Clubs are a great place to make new friends with similar interests as you. Although many of you will think it’s a fun idea to skip Club Fair, we don’t recommend it. You should sign up for as many clubs as you want, and then pick and choose which ones you want to attend on what day. Meetings typically occur a few times a month during lunch and flex, so they’re not major commitments. |
| Upperclassmen: Upperclassmen were not created to scare you. You’ve dealt with students older than you throughout your entire life, so there’s no reason to be sacred now. With time comes superiority, so you should expect a few friendly taunts and jokes, but nothing you should take offensively. When you’re an upperclassman, you’ll want to tease the freshman as well. | Homework: Your middle school teachers probably told you at least one hundred times that the homework in high school is going to be a lot worse: it’s not. Although, in order to have minimal homework, you have to stay productive during class and flex. Don’t skip out on homework either because it helps you understand what you’re learning in class. |
| Sports: There are so many athletics at Lincoln, some which are major commitments. A lot of sports require you to tryout, and from there you’ll be placed on Varsity, Junior Varsity or Junior Varsity 2; some of these sports are no-cut. Other athletics only require you to register to play. Different sports require a different amount of commitment. There are many different teams out there, so try to find one that works around your schedule, because they’re fun and you’ll make great friends. Also, try and go to as many sporting events as you can to support our school and hang with your friends. | Grades: Some people will tell you freshman year is super easy and that it doesn’t matter. Freshman grades do matter. Your final grades at the end of each semester, including freshman year, will accumulate into your Grade Point Average. Take freshman year seriously because it’s just as important as junior or senior year on your transcript. |