As the first week of the 2022-2023 school year continues, the Freshman Class has become acquainted with their new school and classes. Even so, Assistant Principal Colleen Fields said students might be anxious with the transition into high school from middle school.

“I think there is a lot of anxiety about the unknown. In middle school, by the time you’re in 8th Grade, you got it all figured out. Then you’re going into a brand new building, new processes, new people, figuring out who your friends are going to be, and figuring out where you’re going to lunch. [The] fear of the unknown causes the most anxiety,” Fields said.

The upperclassmen have given advice on navigating freshmen year, ranging from academics to extracurriculars.  

School Work:

Junior Quinn Dunehew: “Don’t procrastinate, and please do your homework, because it will catch up to you eventually. As someone who did not do a single assignment in freshman US History, it is very hard to catch up if you procrastinate. Doing an entire semester’s worth of assignments in a week is very difficult.” 

Junior Sanjiv Sainathan: “Stay organized, because you will lose track of homework if you don’t stay organized.” 

Senior Ethan Portscheller: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because teachers want to help you.”

Junior Michaela Makalintal: ” Make sure you do your homework right when you get home. You have more motivation to do it after school because everything you learned is still fresh in your head.”

Maintaining Mental Health:

Junior Rihaan Parakkal: “Use your free time wisely, or else you will be stressed out. Your free time is where you can develop your character and passions.” 

Senior Zeb Macnak: “Make sure to get a balanced schedule so it’s not too much work because if you have too much work you lose time for other things and school becomes a chore.”

Senior Natalie Fischer: “Don’t let what others think of you, define you.”

Senior Sabrina James: “Don’t be scared just because high school is a new place, you’ll see many familiar faces in the halls.”

Senior Sam Mossengren: “Don’t stress school too much, because you’ll stress everything but everything will be fine in the end.”

Clubs and Extracurriculars

Senior Shashank Mani: “Have some fun in freshman year, don’t overextend yourself by doing all the clubs you think you want to do.” 

Senior Cameron Eltoft: “Joining a club is by far the best and easiest way to get involved in your community, and there are countless benefits that come with participating aside from that. You build relationships, get leadership opportunities, and, to be honest, half the time it’s just fun. I honestly think the scariest part about joining a club is actually joining, but the first step is always the hardest. Once you get past that though it’s one of the greatest experiences you’ll be able to get in high school, and freshman year is the best time to start.” 

Senior Ryan Murphy: “Extracurriculars are a great opportunity to explore their interests as well as meet people who have those same interests.”