Advancing through high school, I’ve noticed that the freshmen seem to get tinier and tinier. It’s certainly not because of my own height, because I’ve been 5’5’’ since I was in sixth grade.

I’m wondering if they’re so small because they’re actually that short, or because I only see them as small because they’re three grades lower than me. For a while, I used to get annoyed by freshmen, because they seemed to get louder, messier, and more immature than those who were in their place a year before. But now, in my senior year, I realize that I was being way too harsh on them. I had to remember that I was a freshman once too–I was also annoying and loud.

I know it sounds cliche: we were all freshmen once, we were all demonic pests to teachers and fellow students alike, so we have to be more understanding. And honestly, it’s not wrong to think that way. Because of this, I learned to shake off that air of upperclassmen superiority and realize that just because they’re younger than me doesn’t mean we don’t face the same highs and lows of high school.

Not to say we’ll have the exact same experiences, but there’s no doubt we’ll have some time where we can relate to each other.

For some freshmen (including me, during my freshman year) came from a middle school where they weren’t able to express themselves without being shamed or feeling like they don’t belong anywhere; it was like they didn’t get to really live their youth to the fullest, and with high school being such a large place full of all kinds of people, it’s easier for these freshmen to let loose and feel happy at school.

That’s how everyone should feel, regardless of their grade, but for freshmen, it’s especially important. It’s like the defining stepping stone to finding out who you are and what kind of person you wish to be in the future.

We should be a little more forgiving and patient towards freshmen. No one is saying you have to meet and befriend every single one of them, but just let them be. You can get worked up and annoyed by their behavior, but don’t let that define them. Put yourself in their shoes and realize that they’ll grow out of it eventually, just as you did.