Advice for Year 7s

 Poppy Bishop & Abby Song, Year 9, University Campus 

Starting Year 7 feels like a huge change compared to being in primary school. New teachers, new routines, new people and a whole lot of ‘am I doing this right?’ moments. Looking back, there are so many things we wish someone had told us. If you’re about to start Year 7 (or just looking to reminisce), here are the tips we have passed on to make the transition easier and way less stressful. 

1. Everyone is nervous, even the people who seem confident. 

It is easy to assume you’re the only person who doesn’t have it all figured out, but trust us, they don’t. Most people are just pretending they are not nervous. Once you realise that, it becomes a lot easier to relax and be yourself.  

2. Organisation will save you.

Year 7 comes with more subjects, teachers, and homework to remember than primary school. It gets overwhelming pretty quickly, but once you incorporate a few habits, it really makes a huge difference. It's important to remember to:

• write down things as soon as they get assigned (your student diary is your best friend here)
• pack your bag the night before
• put your laptop on charge

• keep your locker and bag tidy enough to be able to find things (it’s really not fun making excuses for papers that got lost in your locker). 

   

It sounds boring, but staying on top of things stops so much stress.  

3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Teachers don’t expect you to know how everything works yet. If you’re confused about where to go, what to bring, or how to do something, just ask. It’s better than panicking. 

4. Friendships change.

You might drift apart from some primary school friends, and you might meet people who feel more like ‘your people’ than anyone you have known before. This is totally normal, Year 7 introduces you to many more peers than what would have been in your primary school cohort. Let friendships grow naturally and don’t try to force anything that doesn’t feel right.  

5. Try things, even if you’re not sure you’ll be good at them.

Year 7 is the perfect time to experiment with clubs, sports, music and leadership. No one expects you to be amazing or perfect. Just try something, you might find something you love. 

6. Look after yourself.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed, so it is important to make time for yourself. No matter how stressful homework feels, you have to prioritise yourself. We reccommend:

• getting at least eight hours of sleep at night
• eating actual food! Studying is not going to be effective if your brain is running on nothing
• taking regular breaks off screens (try walking or reading a book)
• talking to someone if things are stressing you out. 

It might feel like everything that’s going on is the be all and end all but not getting a perfect grade on one test isn’t going to completely derail your academic future, the only thing that is important is learning from it.  

7. It gets easier

The first few weeks feel chaotic, but you settle in faster than you think. Before long, you’ll know the school layout, the routines, and the people. Give yourself time, it gets easier.