The leap from middle to high school is a significant change in every student’s life. While this transition may be smooth sailing for some students, it can also be an intimidating experience for others. Everyone has their unique perspective on the shift and I had the pleasure of interviewing this year’s freshman class of 2028 to get their perspective.
For some freshmen, the start of the year is full of worries: getting lost, meeting new people, and being in an entirely new environment. Freshman Lily Phelan, who did not Alice Deal Middle School, the largest feeder school for JR, noted that she “came to school before soccer tryouts only knowing three people” and “was worried about not having friends in classes.” For freshman Neil Foley, her main concern before starting her first year of high school was “being in a new place.”
However, for both of these students, these worries quickly disappeared after starting the school year. Foley recounted her first impression of Jackson-Reed as “very big, but it felt a lot like Deal, so kind of the same,” and noted that the school year so far “has been great!” For Phelan, not attending the same middle school as most students “hasn’t been a problem” so far.
The stress of starting high school also comes with the reward of new and exciting experiences. Freshman Josephine Gavin revealed her favorite part of high school so far has been “being on the soccer team.” The same goes for Phelan, who is also on the JV girl’s soccer team. Along with that, Phelan appreciates the “free time and going to games after school.” For the more academic part of high school, most people worry about getting classes with their friends. Thankfully for freshman Lily Carpenter, she was put in “a lot of classes with [her] friends, which I really appreciate because it makes me more interested in the class.”
While freshman year is similar to eighth grade for many students, high school is still quite different from middle school. “There are a lot more people and going from being the oldest in the school to the youngest in the school is pretty weird,” Carpenter said. Another relatable answer came from Gavin, who said “It’s weird being around adults, there’s a kid in my class with a beard.”
All in all, good luck to the freshman class of 2028! It’s the easiest year of high school, but take it seriously and do your future self a favor by doing well in your classes. Have lots of fun and appreciate it while it lasts!
