Growing up is never easy, but some times it is even harder than others. The transition from eighth grade to freshman year can be challenging for some, though others find it as easy as can be. The Paw Print surveyed the student body, mostly freshman, to get their feedback on their transition from eighth grade, all the way into freshman year, and found that while it is a scary time, it is overall a positive experience.
Transitioning into High School as a Freshman after ruling the Junior High as an 8th grader can be really scary for many. From finding your classes, getting lost in the hallways, dealing with unhygienic classmates, to dealing with 6 people in the bathroom at once, things are tricky to get used to. But that doesn’t mean it is entirely bad. You are able to move and grow with the friends you made in middle school, gain help from upperclassmen to find your classes, and meet the amazing teachers here at the high school.
Common fears that incoming Freshman have about High School are getting lost in the new school, too much unnecessary work, not knowing anyone in your classes, too many tests, and finding people to sit with in the humongous cafeteria. However, all these Freshmen should not be afraid of these things because most of the time everything turns out okay. Sure, you have your bad moments in Freshman year, but so did literally every student who ever went to high school, and they survived it. You will too! Freshmen have no reason to let these fears take over because by the time they get to Sophomore year, everyone will have forgotten about it.
The school has tried to make the transition easier by starting programs like Camp Wildcat, and by conducting freshman interviews and then acting on the data they get from the forms all the freshman fill out. The Paw Print conducted our own survey about the transition, and here is what we found.
The survey consisted of six questions asking freshmen about how much has changed now that they are in High School. We received many great responses. For example when asked about the biggest difference between Junior and High School, freshman Tori Williams said, “I would say people are a lot more independent and mature in high school,” and I’m sure many people can agree with this statement made by Tori. Getting over the silliness of junior high is a relief for most. When someone does something stupid, here, everyone rolls their eyes instead of laughing and joining in like we did in junior high.
When older students reflected on their move from building to building, they remembered the good parts more than the bad parts. When asked about the easiest part of the transition, Junior Klay Jenkins said “The easiest part was scheduling. From junior high to high school the routine of it is the same, going from bell to bell you almost forget that you’re in a whole other building.” Even though the physical buildings are quite different, the two administration teams work very hard to make the important things the same, like core values and educational standards.
Another question that was in the survey asked was “What’s the hardest part of the transition?” While some replied with homework, finding classes, and crowded hallways, one stood out. Sophomore Payton Hannan replied with “The hardest part of the transition was getting to know my way around the school and understanding the independence you get from teachers and staff.” And while this does mention finding classes it also captures how you have to be more independent towards yourself and won’t always have that crutch to have a teacher just give you the answer.
We also asked what people’s favorite and least favorite part of the Junior High and favorite part about High School so far. We had some amazing responses from the freshmen class. Freshman Ryan Lukes said about the Junior High “My most favorite was the layout of the school and how easy it was to transition up the floors each year. My least favorite was the cafeteria food.” and for the high school Freshman Kylie Mitchell said, “My favorite part of High School is being treated like a young adult/having more freedom (also Yearbook) and my least favorite part is Mr. Thomas’ class.” Both of these answers were really wonderful responses with great detail.
Finally at the end of the survey there was a question asking if students preferred the Junior High or High School. 90% of people answered that they prefer High School over Junior High, while only 10% of people said they prefer Junior High over High School. With independence, less immaturity, and more class choice, this makes sense.
High School gets easier and I’m sure everyone can see that; it isn’t as bad as teachers in the Junior High say it is. Freshmen have nothing to be afraid of, but instead be excited for your next few years of school and how it will shape you as a person up until graduation.
