Stepping into high school as a freshman is like embarking on an exciting adventure. Everything feels fresh, and there’s a mix of curiosity and maybe a touch of nervousness. It’s a whole new chapter waiting to unfold, filled with new faces, subjects, and experiences. As the school year begins, freshmen often carry a blend of hope and a bit of wonder about what the journey ahead holds for them.

Yusuf Rahmatalla is a 9th grader who noticed a major difference between middle school and high school.

“High school is different from middle school because you get to use your phone. I would say that middle school is more fun than high school because of the memories you make with friends,” Rahamatalla said. “The teacher(s) would always scare us, but in reality everything is normal.”

Kaleia Garcia wasn’t nervous about the transition from middle school to high school.

“I didn’t think that high school would be that scary. Middle school teachers are kinda stricter because middle schoolers are rambunctious and rowdier,” Garcia said.

Wiley Fink explains what it’s like moving from middle school to high school – the ups, the downs, and all the major differences in between. 

“I feel like when people get into high school they have the vibe and they sort of relax a little bit and chill out. I think that middle school teachers are a lot more reasonable and a lot more detached from reality and it looks like they are looking to make you wrong. Where high school teachers as long as you are working and follow the rules don’t care,” Fink said. “ If they are mature the same way as you and if they go in another direction then that’s what they do. You don’t work out anymore and that’s fine.”

Wichaya Hirunkij is a freshman who has some things to say about how he feels coming to high school and talks about the difference.

“The teachers would say high school is scarier and it’s harder, but it’s alright. At first [I thought it was] going to be scary but I’m kinda used to it now and it’s easy,” freshman Wichaya Hirumkij said. 

Keven Varnado is another freshman who talks about how his teacher would describe high school to him and what he really thinks of high school. 

“Some of my teachers would also say it’s going to be way harder than middle school, but we think it’s okay,” Varnado said. 

The start of high school may be exciting, but it is a big adjustment. There will be new classes, new teachers, new students, and often an entirely new campus to navigate. Your first day may leave you feeling lost and uncomfortable, but give it some time. Every big change requires an adjustment period. A lot of freshmen say high school is fun and say that they have access to many things in high school that they didn’t have back in middle school.