Dear Stuyvesant Students… the Seniors Have Advice!

Jordan Espiritu

“I guess four years pass faster than you think it will. Go to class. Make time to do fun stuff. Take breaks, but not too many.”

Kaitlin Wan

“It’s important to keep up with your studies but also be outgoing and join lots of clubs. Meeting new people and making friends is definitely the most important thing [in] freshman year.”

Eliza Spinna

“Don’t be afraid to take a break sometimes because burning out is real; sometimes just take a day off and do nothing. Start studying for a test before the night before.”

Nadia Rahman

“Surround yourself with the right people.”

Raunak Chowdhury

“Join clubs to find friends, interests, and passions; don't be afraid to leave a club if you don't like it. [...] Use Stuy[vesant] to figure out who you are and what you want to do in college or life. Stuy[vesant] is a pressure cooker, but if you're able to break from the ‘do homework, eat, sleep’ cycle to include other stuff, you will be better off as a person.”

Xinyue Nam

“Try really hard in your junior year English class. Think a lot about your essays. Don’t slack off. Those are your starting points for your college app[lication] essays.”

Daniel Schraeter

“I can attest to the fact that you are never too far gone, and you can always bounce back from the lowest of lows, so long as you aren’t afraid to ask for help.”

Meredith Silfen

“Do your best to view and critique yourself without comparing yourself to what ‘the best’ students at Stuy[vesant] act [like]. In a competitive environment, we have a natural tendency to look for our shortcomings in relation to other people, which makes us more hostile than we need to be.”

William Wang

“Don’t follow the advice other upperclassmen feed you like it’s a manual. Stuyvesant and generally, life, will be tailored around your own individual preferences that only you may discover and master. You should not be mimicking the essence of those who seem older and wiser, for you are your own existence. You are merely one in this vast, mysterious universe. It’s both terrifying and comforting in itself. You will be okay.”

Kathryn Jano

“The advice I would give is don’t fret so much about grades. One math test won’t make or break you; one project won’t either. It took me a while to understand this but I eventually learned how important it is to enjoy your time at Stuy[vesant].”

Ashley Burnett

“I think my biggest regret as a freshman was being too afraid to ask questions.”

Jason Kim

“To put it simply, I’ve learned to stay true to myself at Stuy[vesant]. This has left me alone on many train rides as I’ve gone home in the past four years. However, it was a worthwhile sacrifice for what I truly cared about. It may have been more convenient to just do what my friends were doing. I would’ve spent more time with them and had fewer lonely train rides. But I wouldn’t have been doing myself justice if I had. I chose to venture on my own path, and I am so glad I did. It’s important to keep your friends close to your heart, but if you don’t let yourself be the true embodiment of who you are, there is no heart.”

Tahrima Chowdhury

“Cherish each moment because it really does fly by.”

Zaakirah Rahman

“Take everything as a growing experience. Nothing that happens is the end of the world, even if it feels like it at the moment.”

Hanah Jun

"Don’t take a class because someone else tells you to take or not take it. If you are interested in a class, go for it. Everyone has different experiences in every class, and you never know for sure where you’ll fall. [...] Do what sounds fun."

Stella Ng

“Don't be afraid to expand horizons and try new things because Stuy[vesant] is truly a treasure chest with millions of opportunities; you just need to know where to dig deep after experimenting with different things you've never tried before.”

Nishmi Abeyweera

"Take time off every now and then. Spend more time with friends and explore the city. That’s what you’ll remember after you leave."

Chloe Doumar

"Have as many conversations with different people as you can; don’t let tests keep you from having a good time and remember, high school goes fast, so enjoy it!"

Kaitlyn Duong

"If you’re ever having a bad day, get a Peach Pure Leaf and enjoy it while watching a Mets game.”

Maia Brydon

“I think the one piece of advice that I would've wanted to hear as a freshman is that you will find your place eventually. My entire freshman year, I was so distracted, trying to find my place and my people, the ones who would undoubtedly be my closest friends for all of Stuy[vesant]. But at the end of senior year, you come to realize there are so many people you'll have met over the years that you would never have imagined, and even if it's only four years of high school, the end of it is worlds away from the beginning. Even if it takes a little while, you'll find a home here somewhere. Don't search for it too hard; it'll come to you.”

Fiona Cai

“It’s a balancing act: grades, participating in extracurriculars you actually enjoy, social life, [and] maintaining a robust circadian rhythm.”