The transition from middle school to high school is one of the most important changes in a student’s educational journey. Here at Emerson, four freshmen express their sentiments on this transition and provide a refreshing insight into the excitement, challenges, and opportunities of being a new high school student.
A common difference noted by students is the newfound sense of freedom that comes with being a high school student as opposed to the limited options available to a student in middle school.
“High school is different from middle school in a lot of ways, but for the most part, there are definitely a lot more opportunities and freedom,” Cailey Philips, 9, said, “Everything we do here significantly impacts our future, especially in our college careers, so we get treated more like adults because that’s what high school is pretty much training us to be: Adults.”
This sentiment of freedom is echoed by another freshman, Keeghan Clements, though she admits that freedom can also be overwhelming.
“I like having the freedom of being able to choose all of my own classes, but I also feel like it’s a little overwhelming,” Clements said. “I’m worried about not being able to get all of the credits I need from choosing the classes I want, or overdoing it and putting too much pressure on myself.”
With this increased sense of independence, students are finding the social environment of high school differs greatly from that of middle school, yet it’s becoming a highlight for many freshmen.
“It’s a lot easier to make friends here than in middle school since you’re able to interact with more people than just the kids from your own grade,” Sophia Willis, 9, said. “Everyone has been really nice so far, too. It’s not as cliquey here as I expected.”
Fellow freshman student, Maya Murjy, expresses how she enjoys the larger social environment.
“Since I switched from a really small private school, I’m enjoying this massive social environment a lot. Despite there being so many people, I feel like everyone here is really close, and it’s easy to make friends with a lot of different types of students,” Murjy said. “It’s nice that we have so much space where we’re able to learn and grow.”
Participating in extracurricular activities is a great way for freshmen to ease anxiety and adjust to the new social and academic changes that come with high school, while also becoming involved in the school community.
“There are a lot of things I want to try. So far I’ve joined the tracked team, but I’m also wanting to join the Leadership community as well as eventually work my way up to trying out for the student council,” Willis said.
Even the prospect of creating a new extracurricular is an idea shared between the new students, with Clements and Keeghan working together to propose their own club idea to an AP.
“I really want to help Cailey with making a Bible study group club,” Clements said. “I think creating this kind of club could really bring a lot of people here together and make a kind, supportive community, especially for fellow Christian girls.”
As fall settles in and the freshmen get used to their new routines, there comes a new horizon of high school exclusive events new students are eager to become involved in.
“For me, I’m really excited for homecoming. I think it’s going to be really fun to get to show up in a cute dress and dance and hang out with my friends,” Willis said.
Homecoming stands out as the most popularly anticipated event among the freshmen, but other school traditions, such as football games, are also excitedly awaited.
“I’m really excited about homecoming, but I’m also excited about all of the upcoming football games,” Philips said. “I love going to football games and I think it will be especially fun going to a football game to support my school and hang out with my friends.”
With the experiences, personal growth, and maturity learned through the high school journey in hand, students are left well-prepared for the real world after graduation.
