As the school year kicks off, it’s important that freshmen feel welcome and comfortable in their new high school environment during their first, and most nerve-wracking, year of high school. Freshmen are often looked down upon by the other grade levels, when in reality, they’re also students at the school who need to be treated with respect like everyone else.
Starting over with a fresh slate means setting goals to accomplish in a new school.
“[I want to be the] starting running back,” freshman Hagen Hughes said. “I want to be known as a football player.”
Compared to junior high, high school is more fast paced and can require some extra skills that weren’t necessarily required before.
“[I’m handling the change of pace] pretty well,” freshman Emery Ford said. “I’ve had to fix my time management a lot.”
Getting involved in extracurricular activities is a big aspect of being in high school, and being in an involved environment means there are more opportunities to join different organizations.
“I really want to be on the swim team, but I’m kind of scared,” freshman Chloe Morrow said. “Other than that, I’m in theater and I just want to act.”
In terms of expectations and positive outcomes, there have already been some favorable experiences for the freshmen class.
“I really like it,” freshman Gabby Briseno said. “It’s a lot better than junior high. Everyone kind of just lets you do your own thing.”
The first year of high school is fun and memorable, but it also has its ups and downs, which is why it’s important to reflect and assess for difficult situations.
“If I had to say anything to come back and reflect on, I would say, don’t forget the real friends,” freshman Ellie Lund said. “Just don’t forget the real ones.”