Freshmen and the high school food chain

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:54:00 GMT

By Stephanie Arguelles

The high school social pyramid: The Freshman Class struggle at the bottom supporting the weight of the Sophomore Class, Junior Class and Senior Class. Photo Leana Movillion Composite Sabrina Reyes

Imagine being a member of the most experienced group, knowing everything that goes on in your school and how everything runs, to being the new kid on campus. Almost everything around you is new and unfamiliar. You’re no longer walking through the well known hallways of middle school; instead you are now in unknown territory with unfamiliar faces, teachers, and what seem to be never-ending stairs. The cycle happens every year; new freshmen come with every new school year. With at least a year of high school experience, the upper classmen are familiar with the high school routine but for incoming freshman, high school can be intimidating and a difficult transition. “It’s fun [being a freshman], but kind of scary. [A big challenge was] meeting new people and becoming friends with the upper classmen,” freshman Michael Piazza said. High school life can be a big change with many surprises and obstacles. Some freshmen encounter more work than they had in middle school due to tougher classes and higher expectations. “[High school is more challenging] because of the classes. For me, my biology class is hard because [the teacher] expects more out of you,” freshman Tania Abea said. “[The most challenging thing] for me is homework. I have Fiedler and she gives out lots of homework,” freshmen Justin Carungay said. It’s true. Teachers do expect more out of high school students in order to prepare them students for college. The work is meant to mirror the amount of work a student should expect in the outside world. On the other hand, not all freshmen are swamped by the work. “Eighth grade was harder for me because now [my teacher] gives me less projects and [when there is a project] more time to do it,” freshmen Jose Avila said. Some freshmen believe the myth that upperclassmen are “out to get them.” This new concern is a big change for many freshmen because just a year ago they were the ones on the top of the social totem pole. “High school is different now because you have no command over lower classmen,” freshman Joey Chow said. In truth, many upperclassmen are here to help and actively reach out to help freshmen. Link Crew is a perfect example of an organization made up of upperclassmen dedicated to helping freshmen transition successfully. “If a freshman needed help, I would help them. We were all freshmen once that needed help from upperclassmen,” senior Anthony Fajardo said. Freshmen may find high school scary but most also find it to be an exciting new experience. In high school there are so many more new opportunities and activities to be a part of. Freshmen can join clubs, sports, after school activities, the musical, and homecoming. Life as a freshman is challenging but every student was once a freshman. Every sophomore, junior and senior have been through the confusion of the first day, the unwanted exercise from the stairs, the “what are we suppose to do?” feeling of first rally, and the excitement of finally starting high school. Incoming freshmen: don’t worry. You’ll be a senior soon enough.

The Colt Quarterly

Freshmen and the high school food chain