I’ll admit, walking onto the Gunn campus for the first time as a freshman last year was more than just intimidating. There were several changes that I needed to get accustomed to, such as a larger campus, increased academic stress and new classmates from different middle schools. Chances are, you’re feeling similarly — maybe you find yourself rewatching scenes from your favorite TV shows or listening to stories from older siblings, trying to picture what high school is like. But let’s be real, freshman year is not as scary as it’s made out to be. In fact, it’s that very feeling of uncertainty that guides you to build a community, find balance and fuel personal growth.

Looking back, if I had asked an upperclassman for advice, the first thing they would have mentioned is to build connections with both students and teachers. Signing up to play a sport or joining a club is a great first step. Whether it’s the Speech and Debate Club or the basketball team, being part of a group of peers who share similar interests to you helps foster a sense of belonging. At the same time, establishing healthy relationships with teachers, even as a freshman, is very important. Not only can they be a great resource for letters of recommendation but they are also a wealth of knowledge, whether it’s about school or life.

It’s also essential to find a healthy balance between three core scenes: academic, extracurricular and social. The best ways to tackle this are to stay organized, create a personal schedule and avoid overextending which can lead to burnout. Being a victim of procrastination is something a lot of people experience, so make sure to carve out time to focus on schoolwork. Committing to seven different clubs and three sports is not reasonable. Instead, find a few that you’re truly passionate about.

Lastly — and most significantly — to recognize your growth personally and as a student by making mistakes and learning from them. By the time you’re a senior, you will be amazed by how much you’ve developed from when you first set foot at Gunn. Freshman year is full of discovery, not just in the classroom, but also in discovering yourself and the world around you.

Wishing you all good luck, I’m excited to see what you’ll accomplish during your first year as a Titan.

Sincerely, Annabel Brown

Congratulations on surviving the challenging transitions of freshman year! Starting your second year of high school won’t be nearly as daunting an adjustment — classes will get tougher, especially now that you’re able to take AP courses, but not to the point where you’ll be juggling too many obligations at once. The beginning of 10th grade presents an opportunity to delve deeper into your extracurriculars, strengthen friendships and practice greater accountability.

Sophomore year is the prime period to be more adventurous in trying new extracurricular activities, as you’re probably fairly well-adjusted to Gunn by now. If you already have a general sense of what piques your interest, use that to your advantage and keep an eye out for activities that will help you explore your passion (but don’t be afraid to try something completely different, too). At the Fall Club Fair, if you have even an inkling of interest in a club, sign up for membership and attend the next meeting. It’s undoubtedly better to try something out and drop it than to never try at all.

This year is also a time for crafting connections with your fellow peers. Strong friendships can help you get through the toughest of times, whether that means preparing for finals with a study buddy or just hanging out on the weekends as a mental health break. Due to Gunn’s particularly high-pressure academic environment, it is important to find channels to recharge from time to time. Do remember, though, that comparison is the thief of joy, so it’s better to build friendships that induce collaboration and motivation, not competitiveness.

Throughout the ups and downs of the upcoming school year, a final important thing to keep in mind is that the “sophomore slump” is only as real as you make it out to be.
Instead of leaning on excuses, hold yourself accountable. If, for instance, one night you procrastinate for hours and are unable to finish your work because you run out of time, recognize that mistake and try to limit distractions moving forward. However, that’s not to say you should beat yourself up every time you mess up — move on with the intention to do better next time.

The bottom line is: Always put your best effort into school, but don’t forget to take care of your mental well-being, too. Wishing you the best of luck!

Sincerely, Sarah Grupenhoff

Maybe you’ve been dreading this. Or maybe you haven’t let the horror stories get to you yet. Whatever the case may be, welcome to your junior year!

I know what you’ve heard about junior year: the heavy academic workload, the effort to rack up your extracurriculars, exploring your interests to pinpoint your niche and find your passion — not to mention navigating friendships, family and relationships throughout the entire process.

While I think it’s important to mentally prepare yourself for a busy year, pre-emptively deciding that this will be your worst year of high school is neither productive nor will it be true. Don’t let the stress of high school take away the joy from your first year of being an upperclassmen. For many of you, this will be the year you get your driver’s license, won’t have P.E. and dive deeper on the academic subjects you are interested in — remember to take advantage of that!

One of the biggest mindset shifts that transformed my junior year was mastering the art of compartmentalization. Let’s say you’re hanging out with your friends but the entire time, you are stressed about all the homework due tomorrow: You are not getting work done and you’re not having fun. What’s the
point in that? As cliche as this sounds, live in the moment and try to separate the different spheres of your life that are threatening to collide and provide unnecessary chaos. Accept the things that are out of your control, like your grade on a test after you’ve already tried your best on it, and always focus on the next step, the next class and the next day.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to cultivate good relationships with peers and teachers while still being genuine in your interactions. This means participating in class discussions, updating them on your passions beyond your class subject and demonstrating clear effort in everything you do. Beyond good recommendation letters, these relationships are places where you can find support and create bonds that far outlast your time at Gunn.

You may not believe me now, and you certainly won’t believe me when you are in the middle of a stressful finals week, but time is stealthy and before you know it, the year will be over. Cherish the changes and challenges that will slap new sense into you, cherish the unexpected friendships forged through shared struggle and cherish the strength I know lives within each and every one of you.

Good luck and enjoy!

Sincerely, Kaylee Cheng

Wow. Senior year. Finally regaining the crowns you’ve lost as the big kids four years ago in eighth grade. You’ve made it a long way, guys: Take that in. This advice isn’t here to repeat the usual college application tips your counselors have already spouted — or remind you about condensing your life story into 650 words within the next four months. That part goes by in a blur, anyway. What really stuck with me last year was everything that came after.

To me, the majority of senior year felt like Disneyland. Not because it was the year of “discovery” or “adventure,” no. Senior year is the “Guardians of the Galaxy” ride as soon as the gates open: a mad dash to the front full of adrenaline, only to be welcomed with a really long wait.

This year, you’ll be waiting — for your college admissions results, in line at the DMV, to earn adulthood privileges and, of course, to graduate. Bottom line, there’s a lot of waiting.

So, my greatest advice to you, believe it or not, is to stop. Waiting creates this illusion that life starts after something big happens, but in truth, all that waiting just starts a never-ending loop of hypothetical suffering: What if this happens? Why didn’t I do that instead? What will become of this?
So break the loop and fill that time. Distract yourself, yes — but also live in that space, because waiting doesn’t mean you have to stand still. This is your time to build, explore, and create the experiences you always told yourself you’d do when you “had more time.” The line might be long, but what you do with it is entirely up to you.

And when I say live, I don’t just mean scroll on Instagram in bed. Do something past your comfort zone. Bike to San Francisco. Call your teacher by their first name. Bake a wedding cake for absolutely no reason. Instead of worrying about what’s ahead, do what you can control with the time you have now, and let everything else just fall into place. Here’s the thing: That wait in line, whether at Disneyland or during senior year, will fly by when you’re having fun. The magic was never in the ride. It was in the waiting — in how you waited and who you waited with.

When the ride finally begins — the award, the acceptance, the new chapter — they will seem just as magical as the time you’ve spent anticipating it. So, Class of ‘26, take care of yourselves and each other during this final stretch. Make the final intermission before adulthood truly worth it. You’ve got this, seniors.

Sincerely, Naomi Wang