Guidance from Graduates: Insights and Expectations to Make the Most of Your High School Experience

Written by Unisha Poudel (intern at Moderately MOCO)

**Interviewee’s names will not be shown for privacy reasons

Q&A Interview with multiple graduated seniors

As a Junior myself I sat myself down (or more accurately virtually zoomed) with a wide variety of graduated seniors I could contact. Many were going to universities and colleges and even a few had plans to go straight into the workforce. 

I have compacted many of their wise words into condensed sentences for an easy read as well to be straight to the point. While these questions may seem repeated, everyone’s experience and responses were different in their own unique ways. We hope from Moderately MOCO that you are able to gather an insight to how the high school experience is nowadays for you or someone in confusion about said experience. 

Q. What was the most valuable lesson you learned during your time in school? 

  1. Change is all around us, so try to embrace it instead of it taking advantage of you. 

Interviewer: And when asked what had led her to reach this sentiment she replied: 

It was for me when I switched out of private school. When I got into public school in 6th grade, it was a huge change I had to embrace. At first I didn’t want to because of certain mindsets I had, but overtime, I learned to embrace it and it made me who I am today. I see things in perspectives now instead of just the one I used to have back then and my maturity levels have increased since then.

  • A graduate of Damascus going into UMD 

Q. How did your extracurricular activities contribute to your overall growth and development? 

  1. They have made me a better leader and better at working together with large groups. I have learned how to better communicate with people as well. 

Interviewer: With some furthering inquiring I asked what some activities she did at school which lead to her overall development:

Joining the Orchestra and being part of the theater community allowed me to not only build healthy connections to the people around me but also to learn what I truly loved to do. 

  • Graduate of Damascus going into the workforce 

Q. Were there any specific challenges you faced during your academic journey, and how did you overcome them? 

  1. I think the hardest challenge for me was comparing myself with others. I spent a lot of time getting down on myself because my friends got a better grade than me, it made me not want to try things, but eventually I realized that everyone is going through their own thing be it strict parents, mental health problems, etc so the only thing you can do is focus on yourself and forgive yourself for your mistakes.
  • Graduate from Damascus going to Virginia Tech

Q. What advice would you give to current students who are about to enter highschool? 

  1. I would say to stay focused and not to fall behind on schoolwork because it can pile up really fast. 

Interviewer: When I asked the graduate how they fell upon the conclusion they answered:

  1. I guess the first quarter moved faster than I was expecting. With seven classes assignments can stack up and too much procrastination isn’t great.

Interviewer: With something I can deeply relate to as well, while taking difficult classes can greatly improve and grow our minds it can be tough as a student to go through all the work.

  • Graduate from Clarksburg High School

Q. What was your most memorable experience or event during your time in school, and why? 

  1. Being part of the MCPS community and being part of the county orchestra because I learned a lot of skills and I was able to progress with others that were from different schools so it was nice to see everyone pushing themselves. 
  • Graduate from Clarksburg going to UMBC

Q. How did you approach networking and building connections with fellow students, faculty, or professionals in your field of interest? 

  1. I would recommend taking advantage of school resources for new student connections. Start with small class group works and the supporting teachers next to you. 

Interviewer: While this may be a short answer it answers the question quite concisely as I also agree with the testament of just taking advantage of what you have and what your school provides. 

  • Graduate of Winston Churchill

Q. Looking back, what do you think you could have done differently or wish you had known earlier during your time in school?

  1. In retrospect, I wish I had known earlier to prioritize self-care, balance academics with other interests, and cultivate meaningful relationships. I now recognize the value of just not solely focusing on academic achievements but for my other needs for the entire high school experience.
  • Graduate of Walter Johnson High School going to UMD.

With a great answer to end the interview, I hope you have gathered insight from graduates about what high school meant for them.

More from Interns:

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