Maleyah Melton 

We’ve all experienced that fearful moment when we’re starting something new whether it is a new chapter in life, a new skil, or even a new hobby. Teenagers moving from middle school into a new chapter titled How to Survive High School.

Before the first day, many freshmen have different fears and expectations about what the freshman year experience would be like. Some are nervous about finding classes, meeting new people, keeping up with the work, or simply adjusting to the new campus.

 After three weeks weeks, many freshmen students have realized that high school isn't what they expected. One of our fellow freshmen Jayce Gabriel said, “My biggest fear was the older kids, I thought they would instantly beat me up.” 

Freshmen Samanta V. and Alexa Vengas also weighed in on their fears. Vengas said, ”I thought I was going to be all by myself in my classes.” She was also worried about being separated from her old friends when she started high school; however these fears started to disappear.

For most freshmen, the amount of school work can be one of the most stressful parts of high school. Alexa said, “The work is stressful because I feel like I try to be the best at everything." Making a mistake or getting an assignment wrong can make her worry that she might fail. Another freshman, Jayce Gabriel mentioned that time management is stressful because he tends to procrastinate, which causes him to finish homework at the last minute.

But even with those challenges, freshmen have plenty to look forward to. Some students are excited about making new friends, especially those who share similar interests. Others are looking forward to attending events like football games, volleyball games, club meetings and keeping those grades up throughout freshman year.

When asked to describe the high school experience so far in one word the answers included “chill”, "challenging" and “fun."

Freshmen all have similar and different expectations of what high school would be like. Samantha V. said "[She was] surprised by how welcoming everyone was."Jayce Gabriel never expected high school to be more fun than middle school. Alexa Venegas was surprised by how easy high school so far has been since everyone else describes it as difficult.

Maybe high school isn’t as scary as everyone makes it seem. Sometimes, you just have to get past the first day.