The babies have entered high school; what a time to be alive. It is stressful and scary to think about. The transition into high school is a particularly important part of growing up. It shows that a child has matured, though not as much as they seem to think.
Knowing that these students have made it to high school is amazing to think about. They have grown up so much and knowing that soon they will make the world better is a great thing to think about. The class of 2029 is going to do fantastic things in the future, and it is exciting to think about.
Abby Ennis
Every first-year student has a different expectation of what high school would be like. For some, they expect it to be fun and filled with exciting experiences, while some expect the exact opposite. Abby Ennis says that she expected it to be like “a lion’s den and [she] is the fresh meat.” The first day of high school tends to be like that, especially coming from a small middle school like she did.
Later though, she realized that “it’s not that scary.” She claims that her day was “Long, tiring, and fun.” Which is good to hear since she said she was “embarrassed because [her] friend brought [her] to the wrong class.”
High school has many activities and extra curriculars to look forward to. As the saying goes, there is something for everyone. Ennis said she most looked forward to “key club, NHS, Color guard, dance club, and drama club,” to name a few. Seeing people excited to join school sanctioned extra curriculars is, as seen in the title of this article, fantastic. Most of the time, the freshman are too scared to join clubs, but Ennis is ready to take on what she loves and stretch her wings.
Teachers can have an enormous impact on a student’s self-esteem. That class is important because it helps students (especially the freshmen) feel safer and confident in themselves. For some students, their favorite class is math or science; for some students, their favorite class is gym, depending on the teacher and the student. Ennis finds that her favorite teacher is Ms. Catell, MHS’ theatre teacher, because she is “like a therapist.”
Carter Wilson
There are some freshman students that do not stress the first day of school, because they know that nothing really changes. Carter Wilson is one of those people, describing this year as “just another school year.”
After the first day was over, Wilson thought that high school was “a little different,” though he did say there was more homework. He also said, “I felt like it was just another year. It was weird leaving my friends, but I felt better after my first day.” Wilson’s expectations most likely made him feel better than others about entering high school.
High school has a lot of ups and downs. For example, a high point of high school is being able to use your phones at lunch, while a low point of high school is the amount of homework most students have. Wilson’s favorite part about this new chapter in his life is “being able to eat outside.” He also remarks that “the lunch is better,” though that doesn’t say much.
Every positive has a negative, though. “The walking from one side of campus to the other,” Wilson says, is his least favorite part of high school. Considering how big the campus is, it is a valid criticism.
Another big change for most new students is waking up. For some students it can be a quick adjustment, while for others it can take all four years of school. “I’m fine with waking up earlier because we lived in Memphis, Tennessee, so it’s like an old habit.” Wilson states. Because of this, he had an advantage going into high school, since he did not have to go through the big sleep schedule change like most highschoolers do.
Lily Wynne
Some students tend to overthink how the first day of high school is going to go. They get in their heads and think about everything that can go wrong. Lily Wynne thought that high school would be “a lot more difficult and kind of scary because it’s a bigger campus.” Wynne claims that she was overthinking because she “didn’t know where [her] classes were, and [she] didn’t know anyone.”
Later, Wynne realized that she was overthinking and that high school was the exact opposite and “more laid back” than she thought it would be. Overthinking can be a student’s downfall when it comes to school; they end up not having as much fun in high school as they would want to.
Even though Wynne realized that high school was not as bad as she thought it would be, she still has parts of high school that she does not like. As a freshman, Wynne is taking 11th grade classes, this can be very stressful and puts a lot of pressure on her as a student, yet that is not what bothers her. She claims she does not like “being mixed with the older kids.”
Freshman Advice
The first year of high school is one of the most stressful years for kids. They are in an unfamiliar environment with much older (and taller) students. The freshmen typically take on more activities than they can handle. The best advice is to wait a couple of months and get into a rhythm and then start to add in their extracurricular activities slowly. This can limit stress for students and help them adapt to a fast-paced lifestyle.
