Luckily, generations of Ramaz students have already made these mistakes so you don’t have to.

The Rampage asked upperclassmen, GO leaders, freshman advisors, and the freshman grade dean for their best advice on navigating ninth grade. Consider this your unofficial survival guide.

The Important Stuff: Bathrooms, Vending Machines, and Elevators

Let’s begin with the questions nobody covers at orientation.

There is no consensus on the best vending machine. One upperclassman is firmly on Team Third Floor: “It vends the fastest, and the Milano cookies are the move.” Another student backed the third-floor machine for a different reason: “They sometimes have Hershey’s.”

But the fourth floor has its defenders too. One upperclassman argued that its proximity to the library makes it perfect for grabbing something right before studying or hanging out during a free period.

The bathroom debate is even more contentious. One male student argues that the third-floor bathroom’s windows and natural light make it “scenic,” while another’s vote goes to the C-level bathroom because it is “so nice and quiet.” A third recommends the newly renovated gym locker rooms.

On the elevator, though, the upperclassmen are closer to agreement: proceed with caution.

“I never take it unless I have to go to seven,” one student said. “It’s just not worth stopping on every floor.” Another was even more definitive: “Avoid. You will be late to class waiting for it.”

In other words, start getting comfortable with the stairs.

Academic Advice You Should Actually Listen To

Freshman year marks the time where things suddenly become real. However, one of the most popular tips given by both faculty and students is quite straightforward; ask for help before you actually need it.

“Your teachers are much more accessible than you might think. Email them or visit during their open periods; they’ll really help you out,” shared an upperclassman.

Others recommend using the clinics and office hours provided by Ramaz faculty. “Bio clinic, math clinic, chem clinic, and writing clinic were lifesavers.”

Associate Principal and Freshman advisor, Ms. Miriam Krupka, repeated this tip. “Do not hesitate to go to the adults in the building who can help you out,” she said. “It can be your advisor, your teacher, or someone from the admin – just pick the one you feel comfortable talking to and let them know what you need.”

Freshman Grade Dean Ms. Ilana Wilner gave the single most valuable piece of advice: “Seek help from a teacher before getting lost!”

Remember: You are still a freshman. No one is expecting you to know everything from the start.

“Everything is new, and it is okay to make mistakes,” freshman advisor Mr. Elie Adelman said. “Learning from mistakes is a great way to improve and feel more secure in our knowledge and capabilities.”

Get Involved!

If there is one mistake upperclassmen want freshmen to avoid, it is waiting too long to get involved in clubs and other student activities.

“Start something,” one student advised. “Don’t wait until junior year to get involved because ‘you’re just a freshman.’ The people who start early end up running things later.”

Another recommends trying out for all the different academic teams, even if they sound similar. Debate, Mock Trial, and other teams require completely different skills while introducing you to students you otherwise might never meet.

Also don’t forget about hobbies that are exciting and easy to participate in. One suggested that intramurals “are low-commitment, competitive, fun, and one of the easiest ways to bond with fellow classmates.”

Morah Yris Bilia, Hebrew teacher and freshman adviser, said it plainly and clearly: “Be a part of something. Change the lives of Chesed and your friends’ lives.”

Ms. Wilner’s advice is shorter still: “Say yes to things. Go to the sport’s game. Join a club. Join a study group. You’ll have way more fun being a part of your freshman year.”

So You Want to Run for GO?

For the freshmen already eyeing a spot in student government, The Rampage went directly to the people who know how to win an election.

GO President Ben Abayev ‘27 says name recognition matters a lot.

“Talk to as many people as possible, put jarring posters all throughout the hallways, yell out campaign slogans in the lounge,” he advised. “Anything to just make your name known on the ballot.”

GO Vice President Caleb Doft ‘27 agrees that posters matter, but should do more than put your name on a wall. Make them “funny/relatable” and show your personality while still explaining what you actually want to accomplish.

More importantly, figure out what your classmates care about.

“Find out what it is that people want fixed and use that as a platform,” Doft said. He also recommends simply talking to people, not necessarily about GO, but because genuinely getting to know your classmates matters.

Sophomore Class President Lily Brody ‘29, who successfully ran as a freshman last year, offered similar advice.

“My biggest advice is just to be yourself,” Brody said. “Talk to everyone in the grade so that people know who you are and that you’re running. Listen to what people want and have a few realistic ideas that you genuinely think would make freshman year better.”

Doft’s final rule might be the most important: don’t promise impossible things.

Your speech can be funny. Your posters can be ridiculous. Your campaign can be memorable. But at the end of the day, your classmates should know what you actually plan to do for them.

The Unwritten Rules

Every school has rules that will never appear in a handbook.

Rule No. 1: Know your staircases. One upperclassman recommends figuring out which staircase gets you closest to each classroom. Those saved seconds matter more than you think.

Rule No. 2: Use your mornings wisely. One student says 8:02 is about as late as you want to push it: “8:05 and you have a problem.” Another takes the opposite approach, arriving at 7:30 for Mishmar and using the extra time to make Judaic classes less stressful. A third student says to take advantage of the 5 days you can arrive late: “You might as well just take the late and sit in detention one day for 30 minutes in exchange for five days of sleeping in”. 

Rule No. 3: It’s okay to be tired. If exhaustion wins, another piece of upperclassman wisdom is that the lounge can double as a surprisingly useful place for a quick nap.

Rule No. 4: Your freshman friend group is not necessarily your senior friend group. And that’s okay. “Friend groups change constantly throughout high school,” Ms. Wilner said. “Be open to new people, new experiences.”

She also stressed something easy to forget in the rush of freshman year: kindness. Invite the extra person to lunch. Include someone in the hangout. Small decisions can have a much bigger impact than you realize.

You Don’t Have to Figure It All Out Yet

Freshman year comes with a strange pressure to immediately find your people, your activities, your best subjects, and the version of yourself you are going to be for the next four years.

The adults who will be guiding this year’s freshman class want you to know that isn’t how it works.

“Ninth grade is an exciting time for you to develop genuine friendships, grow as a person, and to learn successfully,” School Psychologist and freshman advisor Dr. Jerry Zeitchik said. “We are here for you!”

Ms. Rebecca Weisberg, Science teacher and freshman advisor, similarly encouraged freshmen to lean on the community around them.

“We’re so excited to watch you grow this year,in your academics, your friendships, your interests, and your Judaism,” she said. “Your teachers, advisors, and administrators are here to help you succeed in all of these areas.”

And Morah Yris, remembering what it was like to be new at Ramaz herself, had one final reminder: “Take your time to enjoy your days.”

One Last Thing, From a Senior Rampage Reporter

As I head into my final year at Ramaz, the biggest thing I can tell you is that four years sounds much longer than it actually is. At this point, as freshmen, you are concerned about locating your classrooms, making friends, and passing your tests. But before you know it, you’ll be so familiar with every staircase that you won’t even need to think about it, freshmen will seem unbelievably small, and you’ll be the senior offering them advice.

Do not try to make your high school experience perfect in your freshman year. Try out for the team despite being nervous. Be a part of that club even though you know nothing about it. Consult your teacher. Attend that game. Run for GO. Create your own thing. And try your best to branch out and meet new people. The biggest thing I wish someone had told me was to not put so much pressure on every moment. You don’t have to make freshman year the best year of your life, and you definitely don’t need to have high school figured out by September. A lot will change between now and senior year. Let it.

Four years from now, you’ll probably laugh at some of the things you’re currently nervous about. So enjoy being new, give yourself permission to embarrass yourself once in a while, and make some memories you’ll actually want to tell the freshmen about when it’s your turn to write this.

You don’t need to know exactly who you’re going to be by senior year. Just give yourself as many opportunities as possible to find out.

But remember: Four years goes fast; the elevator does not!