The transition from middle school to high school can be intimidating and scary. It’s the beginning of a new chapter in one’s life. Rising freshmen must face the fact that they are no longer the middle school “top dogs” anymore; they are young rookies starting high school. There are more responsibilities, changes and difficulties to overcome during these next four years. Although the kick-off to high school has numerous benefits and it is an exciting stage, there are many concerns freshman have before their long journey takes off.
Gabriel Gilstrap (12) feels that as a senior, he can accurately reflect back on those first days of freshman year at Spartanburg High School.
“My main fear going into high school was how I would have to adjust to a far bigger building with a lot more people than I had ever experienced before,” Gilstrap said. “While it was definitely overwhelming at first, I quickly realized how easy it was to fit in and how special this school truly is.”
One main worry that most freshmen in high school tend to have is their fear of being judged for every little thing and of not fitting in. There are many uncomfortable, but also positive, changes that freshmen must adapt to and become stable in mastering. The anxiety, on top of many other new high school stressors, such as meeting different people, academics being more challenging, and adjusting to a new environment, should not be take up the headspace of the incoming underclassmen.
Freshman Hattie Karn (9) feels that her expectations did not necessarily match her reality to being a newcomer to high school.
“Going into freshman year was scary because I was told the classes are so much harder, and the building is a lot bigger,” Karn said. “I also thought I was not going to have any of my friends in my classes. My experience coming into high school was a lot different than I had expected. I love it – high school is a lot better than middle school and the classes are not as hard as I thought they would be.”
Starting high school is the time where teenagers transfer into adulthood by making mistakes and learning from them. Being exposed to new experiences throughout high school helps one prepare for the future. Time flies fast in high school, so something that is important to do is taking it in and enjoying the ride. The reality of being a freshman in high school is the realization that there are so many amazing opportunities in this stage of education and staying true to oneself is the most crucial takeaway.
Seth Miller (11) explains what his experience was like as a freshman and his realization on what high school is really like.
“When I was a freshman, I was worried about making it to class on time because Spartanburg High School is such a humongous school and I hoped that I would not get lost,” Miller said. “I was worried that the teachers would be very strict, but really they are the most chill.”
