Beginning high school is a big step in the transition from childhood to adulthood. For many students coming from the junior high, plenty of anxieties can emerge from the deep ocean that is high school.
After completing the 8th grade, many kids are more than ready to move up to a larger and more mature setting. Although this may intrigue some, but for a large amount of incoming freshman, things such as friend groups and extracurricular niches will fall apart and open new doors.
Current freshman Ethan Kilcoin has adapted to high school life very well. He has been able to make lots of friends through extracurriculars such as choir and theater. Even for someone who has been so successful thus far, he acknowledges that he felt some anxieties when coming into high school.
In the beginning, before school started, Kilcoin admits, “I felt insecure coming into high school. Thinking things like ‘will people like me?’ and ‘will I be good enough?’” Like most students, he was not immune to the freshmen fears.
Kilcoin soon learned that high school is not quite as scary as most incoming freshmen anticipate it will be. Kilcoin adds, “Now I feel pretty good that I’ve made a lot of upperclassmen friends to help me through tough times in life. I always have people to help me if I need it.”
Kilcoin has been extremely involved both in and out of school. Starting out his day with a full 8-period schedule and finishing it off with long rehearsals in the theater or for choir has helped Kilcoin maintain a wide array of friendships and be exposed to as many people as possible.
For students who aren’t as involved in school, it can be harder to make and maintain strong friendships. Taking advantage of the many extracurriculars offered at Pleasant Valley helps students to find their niche in high school.
Not all students are able to find where they belong right away. Sophomore, Rachel Schwarz admits that her freshman year was not so easy. “Last year I felt like my life was kind of in shambles and I was struggling to hold everything together.” Plenty of students have to overcome learning curves that they may not have anticipated.
Schwarz goes on to say, “I learned to take some much needed me time, as well as time to spend with friends and family. It’s all about getting comfortable and adjusted to school and what you can do to keep yourself sane.”
Indeed it is true that freshmen year can be the most stressful because of the large adjustment, but being able to find that balance and learn what makes each individual comfortable can help students adapt more quickly and feel as though they belong, thus improving overall performance in and out of school.
