With a new school year come new classes, new teachers and a new incoming class of freshmen.

Students from Fowler and Vandeventer middle schools feed into Liberty, which means that not only will ninth graders have an entirely new school to get used to, but they have a new group of people to become accustomed to, as well.

Everyone notices different things on the first day of school, but the first thing many freshmen noticed was the overwhelming size difference between their middle schools and Liberty. With two separate floors and a large amount of classrooms, many Liberty freshmen found it difficult to navigate from class to class.

“My first impression of Liberty would be that it was really big, and I’d get lost a lot,” freshman Johnny Woods said.

Some things that were hard for students to get used to include going up the up staircase, going down the back staircases, finding their classes, and walking in the hallways. Having multiple binders and homework from different classes made organization challenging for the freshmen.

“Having to switch out my books and classes every day was the hardest thing to get used to,” freshman Samantha Wood said.

Although a few things took some time to get used to, others took nearly no time at all, and most students have maintained a positive attitude through this often tough transition. Students found that the A-day/B-day schedule was easy to get used to, as was being allowed to bring backpacks into their classrooms.

Unfamiliar surroundings may cause uneasiness in freshmen students, but goals and aspirations have helped students overcome their worries. Instead worrying about maneuvering through hallways and finding classes, many ninth graders have geared their focus to what they come to school for in the first place—making good grades.

“My hope for freshman year is to make it into the top 10 percent in my class,” freshman Michelle Ly said.

Though some freshmen may still be settling into the halls of Liberty, on the whole the Class of 2018 has adapted well to their changing circumstances.