As school comes to an end, the Class of 2028 concludes their first year of high school with different experiences, expectations, and realities.
“The teachers and atmosphere, it’s something that I feel you can never fully prepare for,” freshman Trisha Bongale said. “As my freshman year in high school ends, I can see how many more expectations yet freedom we have compared to middle school.”
Many students change and mature from middle school to high school, and for freshman Akshara Rajesh, the realities of high school reflect this.
“Compared to middle school, high school was a couple levels up. You’re expected to manage your time and do your work independently,” Rajesh said. “Teachers treat you like an adult, to prepare you for the real world. However in middle school, there was still a bit of wriggle room.”
The magic of high school portrayed in movies and shows ceased to exist the closer freshman Prisha Rathod got to her freshman year.
“Part of me sort of believed that high school would be like the movies, all fun and carefree, but the more I grew up and went through middle school, I realized it was going to be the opposite,” Rathod said. “I figured out that these are the years we study and work towards college.”
Freshman Vanessa Park gradually started to realize how much this year changed her perspective on her last few years of childhood.
“This year definitely changed me mentally, realizing that I don’t just need a good education to succeed. I need friends, family, teachers, and coaches,” Park said. “Finding that group and those teachers that will support you is such a vital thing for the next three years, especially as you guide yourself to the future.”
A big letdown for many freshmen this year was the lack of time.
“I was just not getting enough time with some friends because of busy schedules and different classes,” Rajesh said.
Some students, however, utilized their breaks as a way to socialize and rest from school stress.
“I especially like advisory because it was a time where I was able to socialize and leave the mess of schoolwork behind for a while,” Bangole said. “I also recently started to eat outside in the courtyard as the weather gets hotter, which started to become the highlight of my day.”
One definitely common feeling however, was an expectation for them to feel way more experienced sophomore year compared to their freshman year.
“Knowing things early on would have helped me direct my time and energy to the correct things,” Bangole said. “My sophomore year will be better than my freshman year as, since I have a bit more experience, I will be able to adapt and achieve a lot more.”
