Hot Takes Episode 5 The High School Playbook A Grade-by-Grade Guide to Success

This episode presents high school not just as four years, but as four distinct stages of growth and preparation. It breaks down what students should focus on each year, from building habits in freshman year to preparing for college applications in senior year. The episode warns against the most common pitfall for seniors, "senioritis," and shares a story about a student who scrambles to catch up after not having a plan, contrasting her experience with her younger sister who plans proactively.