Transitioning from one school to another typically brings about much stress and for freshmen this year, the process is more challenging than ever before. 

The safety precautions necessary to ensure everyone’s safety during this pandemic has amplified the difficulty in adjusting to a new school. There is an added component to understanding the building and its staff- learning how to navigate this new style of schooling. 

“If I had to describe this year in one word it would be unique. I never expected something like this to happen. It certainly made some things difficult, since we had to adjust to both a new school and the A/B schedule,” said freshman Lyla G., in an email. 

Without ever touring the large building and mostly staying in the same location throughout the day, many freshmen are unsure of where or how to get to several of the facilities and rooms at the school. 

“Being in a new school made this year more challenging as we have never been in this school before and I still don’t know the layout of it. I don’t know where the cafeteria or gym is, and I have not seen most of the building,” said Lyla G.

Aside from the unfamiliarity of the school building itself, freshmen are unaware of several of the staff members at the school, and the activities that take place. Additionally, they have had to balance adjusting to their new classes, teachers, and workload, all while navigating many of the online platforms utilized during their virtual days.  

There are also others who have yet to visit the school because they have been learning remotely since September.   

“In one word, I would describe this year as exotic. I think adjusting was weird at first. In the beginning, it was odd staying home all the time, but eventually I grew into it and love being virtual,” said freshman Isabella E.

However, unlike Isabella E., many of her classmates find this year to be overly stressful.   

“The virus has made it hard to focus on my classes because on virtual days it is very easy to get distracted,” said freshman Megan, via text message. 

On virtual days, it is very difficult to find the motivation to complete the work assigned with no set times to work on assignments for each class and overtime, the assignments pile up and it becomes a nerve-racking race to get the assignments turned in before midnight. 

“School this year has been extremely difficult from the past years, and it has been difficult to adjust. [Yet], I have been able to make friends because of this change and I have come to enjoy many things about this year,” said Lyla G.  

Moving from the middle school to the high school amid a pandemic has been challenging, but in this dark tunnel of a year, the freshman have been making the most out of it. 🔳