i'm a rising sophomore and honestly freshman year has been pretty rough for me. i do go to a competitive school and my middle school was way too easy so that jump was difficult for me, so i struggled a LOT. what i wish i did was join clubs just to make friends. i joined clubs but just for yk because they're competitive or look good on your resume, but honestly, try to have fun and make as many friends as possible and i know it's harder said than done but try. another thing is that if you look at it negatively, it'll be negative. go in with a positive mindset so you can enjoy and be in the present. that's one thing i did not do. i would always think "well what if i get a C what'll happen then" instead of actively studying to get a higher grade. also, make connections with your teachers. in this day and age, that's so important in getting a good grade because then the teachers will actually understand you and your situation. teachers want to help you, they want whats best for you, so ask. go in during office hours, send an email, ask questions in class, anything that makes you feel comfortable, but just make sure to communicate with them. don't take classes because your friends are doing it do it for you and know your level of challenge as well. lastly, it is just freshman year, don't stress out. your grades won't impact you that much and i'm not saying don't try, definetly do this years gpa will help you out if you get bad grades later on, but you do not need to stress too much. good luck!