⫸ Map:
I guarantee you every school has a map (they need them in order to plot emergency exit plans) and you can get these either by popping into your school office and asking the people at the front desk if they have one or by just looking online. mark the location of your classes on the map, jot down your class schedule, and keep it out with you until you can figure out how to get to your classes by memory.

⫸ Ask For Help:
my first day of high school I was walking all over the damn place for a good 20 minutes looking for a classroom before I finally went to the front office and asked for directions (i had somehow entirely missed a wing of the school in my wanderings and that was where the class was, yikes). teachers and other adult staff are the best to ask but if none are around found a kid that looks older than you and ask them. someone will know where you need to go and will be able to point you in the right direction, you just have to be willing to ask them as soon as you've realized you have no clue where the hell you're going instead of walking around like a lost duck for so long as i did.

⫸ Lockers:
write your locker combination down somewhere that's easily accessible. even if you're like "ha! it's only three numbers, i can remember that!" write it down. and if you're not comfortable or familiar with using combination locks, look up how to use them online - watch a video or two - and maybe write the instructions for which way to turn them down too. it's not hard but it can be tricky, especially if you've never used a combo lock before and you're already dealing with new school jitters that can throw you off.

⫸ Rules:
familiarize yourself with the rules of your school. your teachers will probably give you a rule booklet on your first day but if not then the rules are likely available to view online. this tip isn't here to be a buzzkill but to caution practicality: different schools have different rules. some of those rules may be weird, some may be unfair, but in any case it's always a good idea to know what is/isn't allowed in your school so you can avoid doing anything that might get you punished (or at least so you'll know that you should hide what you're doing so you don't get caught). specifically be sure you know rules that are about your school's dress code, their policy on snacks and drinks in the classroom (this may be something you need to ask individual teachers about as well, as different teachers may have different views on this), whether phones or other devices are allowed in school, and if you take any kind of medications (down to an over the counter Tylenol or Benadryl) whether you're allowed to bring those or if you need to fill out some kind of form to get permission first.

⫸ Period:

if you're someone who has a period make sure you have a small bag of necessary supplies with you in your bookbag. include a few pads, tampons, or whatever you use. different schools have different policies on bringing medication (such as ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other pain killers you might use for cramps + other period symptoms) so please be aware of what your school's policy is before you bring a bottle of pills or even a few loose pills to school with you; even if it's an over the counter drug you can still get in trouble for bringing it to school without permission. if you're not sure of your school's policy your best bet is to drop by the school nurse's office and ask them about it. don't be too embarrassed to talk about period stuff with them, school nurses have seen/heard everything and they are not going to judge you.

⫸ Lunch:
don't freak out about where to sit at lunch. seriously. movies and tv shows make a big deal about this (mean girls, anyone?) but in reality, it's just not that big of a deal. if you're lucky you'll share a lunch period with people you know and like and will be able to sit with them but if you don't then don't worry too much about it, either. try finding a table that seems mostly empty and sit down there. people you don't know will probably sit with you and this is okay—you're not obligated to introduce yourself but you're also not obligated to not introduce yourself either, be polite and maybe smile and say hey if you want or just nom your food and mind your business. these kids are no different from you, they just want to eat, and chances are they'll be perfectly fine. if you can't find a mostly empty table, then look for an empty seat next to someone who looks more focused on eating. ask them if you can sit there. 9 times out of 10 they will say yes. sit, eat, wait for the bell, go. repeat the next day. eventually, it'll just be another part of the routine.

⫸ Be friendly!:

Chances are everyone is just as, or if not more nervous then you! If you smile and be friendly you'll be like a beacon of light to everyone, especially the nervous people. Reach out, be kind, smile!.

⫸ Bell:

manage your time between classes wisely. know how much time there is between class letting out and the bell for the next class ringing and know how long it will take you to get to your next class from where you're at. socializing is good and healthy but don't burn up all of the time you have between classes hanging out talking to people in the hallway because it can wind up making you late. make sure you pee if you've gotta pee and that you have everything you need for your next class.

locker room tips:

⫸ Changing:
a lot of gym locker rooms have bathroom stalls attached and you can potentially get changed in those rather than out in the open with everyone else.note that some gym teachers may not be okay with students doing this. if that's the case then they'll likely tell you about it on day one of gym class. if they don't mention it then consider it okay but if they don't allow people to get changed in the bathroom then you can always slip into a regular school bathroom prior to gym class and change your clothes there and then change into your regular clothes after the gym. as long as you manage your time wisely and don't take too long and wind up late for the gym or your next class, you shouldn't get in trouble for this. Also, don't worry about it too much, everyone's so worried about themselves they won't be looking at you!!

Fun story: After you have locker rooms for a few years girls stop being so self-conscious and honestly kind of 'bond' as weird as it sounds... I personally have witnessed and been a part of a 'bra fight' so take what you want from that... 😂

⫸ Upper Body:
if you have body image issues about how your upper body looks you can consider wearing a long tank-top underneath your regular clothes and, after you change out of your regular clothes, just put your gym shirt on top of the tank top. you're still changing but no one is actually seeing your chest/skin which reduces some of the anxiety.

⫸ Lower Body:

you have body image issues about your lower body or people seeing you in your underwear you can consider wearing boxers or some kind of shorts-like underwear instead of briefs. these cover more skin than briefs do which can, again, reduce anxiety. no matter what your gender identity is there should be some kind of underwear like this in a pattern/color/material that is comfy for you. alternatively, you could also wear thin leggings under your regular pants (though this may not be feasible for you during summer when it's really hot out).

⫸ Shower:
you don't want to shower after the gym, no one can force you. just make sure to have a clean set of clothes to change into, make sure you wear deodorant and carry a packet of nicely scented wipes in your gym bag to wipe down with after gym is over. maybe also spritz a bit of perfume or scented water in your hair.

⫸ Wash:

I don't know how much you personally sweat Or stink, but be sure you wash your gym clothes at least once every week or so because no matter what your body odor level is they will start to stink after a while. if your clothes get particularly funky then wash them in a mix of antibacterial soap and baking soda—the soap will kill the germs and the baking soda will make them smell good again.

⫸ Be respectful of other people in the locker room.

don't make comments about other people's bodies that could make them feel uncomfortable or upset. if you make any kind of a mess, clean it up. if the locker room has bathroom stalls attached, don't hog them - always be aware of how much time you're spending in there or in front of the mirror and whether there's anyone standing around who needs to get into a stall or use a sink. and if you use perfume or body spray or any other kind of aerosol, for the love of god and asthmatics everywhere, don't use too much of it—not to call anyone out but you young dudes out there who are just beginning your manly love affair with AXE body spray need to be especially on notice over this. when i was in middle school boys used so much AXE that you could see the waves of it drifting out of their locker room and making its way across the gym. i know y'all want to smell good but that shit can choke people out, i promise you that you don't need to use quite THAT much in order to smell nice.

⫸ Stand up to bullying and body shaming when you see it happen.

if you see something, say something. if another student is being bullied in the locker room, stand up for them. sometimes the only thing it takes for a bully to stop is for other people to tell them to shut the fuck up and make it clear that their behavior isn't acceptable. reach out to classmates of yours who you see being bullied and body shamed even when you don't know them. you don't have to be friends with someone in order to understand that they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. defend people who are being attacked and taken advantage of and make sure they know that they deserve better.

⫸ Have fun!!
Laugh, be silly, don't take things too seriously! (unless it's important that is.) These are only a few years of your life, make them enjoyable.