I think i might start to take privete lessons on the viola before i go to highschool. I was wondering if anyone has any advice like things to buy, fingering tips, anything

Umm, long nails kill strings.

...yea.. your teacher will explain most of it. Strings are great fun, but you kinda have to stick with it because its not so fun at first.

Get yourself a teacher, who will recommend a good instrument for you. It depends on the area you live in (I`m a teacher and I recommend my students purchase a Chinese instrument from a local music store). Get yourself a book on fingerings and learn where the strings are, the bow hold, and what the basic hand position is. If you have a teacher, you can learn this within a month. It`s really best NOT to learn on your own if you`re serious about this, because you can develop bad habits very easily.