At the beginning of September, the class of 2029 entered high school as freshmen. Some of us were nervous, others excited, but for all the first year of high school is a big change. It comes with more freedom and opportunities, but also with more responsibilities. 

High school is very different from middle school and for many that’s a positive thing. A big difference is our schedules. Students went from having 7 classes a day to having 4. Freshman Scotia Nelson said, “There’s less classes, there’s going to be less work.” Going into high school, many students are wary of the workload. When asked what was something that they thought about high school that didn’t turn out to be true, one student answered, “The homework load. I thought I’d get a lot more homework, but it’s not that bad. More, definitely, but not as much as I thought it was.” Another possible challenge for freshmen is the considerably larger building size. When asked what the hardest part of her transition into high school was, Scotia Nelson replied, “Finding out where my classes are.” Another freshman, Madison Stevens commented, “It’s a really big school.” 

Something that many students find important is having classes with their friends. When asked about the hardest part of their transition into high school, one student answered, “Probably that there aren’t as much friends in classes.” Another student said that something they liked better about middle school was that, “I had a lot more classes with my friends.” The lower chance of having a class with friends might be due to the larger number of students in the high school. In high school there are also classes that have students from multiple different grades. Another reason that freshmen might find that they have less classes with their friends is the multitude of different opportunities that open up once students get to high school. Many different kinds of classes are offered including CP or honors classes, different kinds of physical education classes, and a great number of electives. 

The first quarter is already half way completed, and freshmen are starting to get used to the busy high school life. Here’s to the 2025-2026 school year!