After graduating from junior high, freshmen are thrown into the work, pressure and atmosphere of high school. They are often expected to adapt within the first few weeks.
Even kids that have been campus students for multiple years have uneasy feelings about the transition into high school. The “newbies” may have a harder time adjusting.
“In eighth grade I only had one teacher, and I still had recess,” John Teixeira, ’14, said. “I also miss my friends; I had a lot of friends at St. Rose McCarthy. I went there for the past four years, and I loved how small it was — about 15 people per grade.”
Students may have different impressions of high school. Sophomore Jordan Boudreau remembers his freshman year as a time of learning a lot of new things.
“It [high school] was way too serious. I wish it was laid-back like junior high,” Boudreau said. “But don’t get stressed out — it just gets easier. Like writing in English is really hard at first, but after practice and a couple of papers, it becomes easier.”
As many before them, freshmen have fears and expectations for the school year: What will the next four years be like? Hard and stressful? Or easy and relaxed? The first day helped Hannah Avila, ’14, to anticipate what is to come.
“My heart was beating more than usual,” Avila said. “As I opened the doors, I smelled it — the first day of school smell. The atmosphere and the people smelled happy.”
Since transitioning to high school, Rayna Endicott has found that junior high prepared her for the increased work load.
“I was very excited because of the whole atmosphere of high school, and I was excited but somewhat nervous to figure out what my classes would be like,” Endicott, a cheerleader, said. “The work load is bigger, but Mrs. [Hallie] Rojeski prepared me by pushing me in my work and classes.”
Many students receive tips from upperclassmen on how to adapt. Student body vice president Bree Ainley, ’11, has experience and can give suggestions to the students.
“Get involved in clubs, sports, activities and volunteer,” Ainley said. “Don’t over stress. Be yourself; don’t act like someone you’re not. You will earn respect for being you. After a while, things get better.”
Because she has watched many transitions from eighth to ninth grade, math teacher Jane Gillespie is able to advise the freshmen.
“Stay organized in your work and time, use your planner and get as involved as possible,” Gillespie said. “Utilize labs, study with friends — group things. Stay on top of things; when you get a little bit behind, it is hard to catch back up.”
For more information on educational transitions, read the Sept. 1 article, Transitions test mettle, maturity.
