Walking through those intimating front doors for the first time can feel like stepping into an entirely new world. Bright fluorescent lights flood over everything, unknown classrooms, unfamiliar faces, and hallways that feel like I-25 at rush hour; pushing and pulling you in an entirely new direction. For freshmen the first few weeks can be more overwhelming and stressful in ways many of us can’t even remember. But while starting high school can be absolutely terrifying, it can also open doors to new people, different activities, but most of all the opportunity to grow, change and truly come into yourself.
For many freshmen, the biggest adjustment is simply getting used to the significant increase of work and responsibility that goes hand in hand with high school. Students must keep track of different teachers, assignments, schedules (at the whim of Infinite Campus),and activities while simultaneously learning how to manage their time.
Yet the differences between middle school and high school aren’t ever just academic. Heritage strives to add more stress to freshmen and even upclassmen with the absolute maze that we call our building. And within these brick walls we have another important difference: adjusting to high school often includes finding a group of friends and figuring out where you fit in. Some freshmen come to high school already knowing many people from their middle schools, while others may have to meet an entirely new group of classmates (like myself). Heritage gives the opportunity for new students to experience clubs, sports, and other activities where they can meet people with similar interests and passions; Heritage truly does have something for everyone.
High school comes packaged with brand new and oftentimes staggering academic expectations. Freshman will have more assignments, larger projects, and different expectations from teacher to teacher. Learning to stay organized, finding a rhythm that works for you, and (even if it’s embarrassing) asking teachers or even upperclassmen for help and advice can be a lifesaver especially during the crushing first few months.
Although the transition can test freshmen in ways they never imagined, they often discover that their worries become less stressful as they become more comfortable, get to know more people, and finally unlock the secret to navigating our school’s labyrinth. What may at first seem confusing and frightening during their initial days can become part of a normal routine.
I interviewed Jami DeVrie, an esteemed teacher in the Heritage English department, specifically English Freshman Honors:
What are some of the biggest challenges you noticed freshman facing when they first start high school: “Because most of them are from feeder schools and they don’t do homework that is real and worth a grade it doesn’t really factor into how they’re being assessed they come to high school and it all of a sudden does matter and so those students who haven’t built the practice habit of homework the students who haven’t taken it seriously because I didn’t really matter I find that there’s a huge shift and a transition and a lot of students figure it out. Most pick it up pretty quickly, but I have a handful every single year who just don’t know what to do or how to do it they can’t keep track of their homework assignments, they don’t have a good system because they haven’t had that practice and they don’t understand that it actually matters even though we warned them. I speak very clearly about it mattering and that it is going in as a zero; they don’t take me seriously or don’t think it’s real until those zero stack up.”
What changes do you typically see in freshman from like the beginning of the year to like where they are at the end of the school year: “They have never really been challenged and so they kind of expect a “easy a without really having to work for it” Mrs. Smith and I intentionally create our lessons and our curriculum to be challenging. I mean it’s nine honors for that reason we wouldn’t be doing our job if we weren’t intentionally trying to push them with a rigorous curriculum, so students kind of become stagnant in middle school and since they’re not really asked to critically think when they were in middle school. We hit them with these really challenging concepts and they don’t know what to do when they struggle or when they fail and that affects their self-esteem and their confidence, I think they have forgotten that you have to struggle to get better and that we grow through mistakes; you’re not gonna be perfect at everything especially with new skills. So I feel like they’re confidence kind of drops in September and October right when we start the nitty-gritty, but for those kids that hang in there, keep trying, and ask questions; those who are really trying when May comes around those kids have found that it was hard, but I did it and that confidence and belief itself is so amazing to see. It’s an honor to watch them at the end cause it really was them like I just facilitated giving them opportunities to grow, but it’s really their work and to know that they feel good about accepting challenges, it’s pretty priceless.”
What do you think freshmen are most surprised by when they first come to high school: “I think the amount of homework and how consistent it is, like there is pretty much something is due every single class and that kind of throws them. I think just like the scale of high school, that it is obviously physically bigger and yes there’s a higher amount of students. I think all of the new opportunities, like I have all of these different classes and I’m roaming all over the school, I have so many opportunities to get involved in clubs and sports.”
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen: “When it comes to registration I think choosing classes that they are genuinely interested in and that they are going to be willing to work for. Because I feel like a lot of them are being told by their mom or eighth grade teacher: “take this class” but mom or eighth grade teacher isn’t gonna be the one doing the work, so there should be an interest or a passion; willingness to work in that subject area. I think the other thing with registration is again because I deal with nine honors freshman is that they need to pick and choose what they really should not be taking a higher level advanced course in all of their subjects; that’s just bananas I feel like it’s not worth the stress and the time commitment to be advanced across the board. They should have the freedom to participate in sports and in clubs and have a social life and religion and family and all of that and it’s really really hard to do with the more advanced classes you take. But I think so many of them have just drilled in their brain that like I’m advanced across the board and that may be true skill wise, but then it comes down to like passion; you’re a pretty rare bird if you genuinely love every single subject and you’re willing to work for every single subject that’s rare. I can think of like two students and my 22 year career who fit that; everyone else should just really be picking and choosing. The social thing is the same kind of thing like just because you were friends in middle school, does not mean that you need to be friends in high school and honestly if you just stay in your comfort zone you are missing out on a huge opportunity to make new connections. So going out of their way to talk to people and I know that I always talk about how cringe and awkward it is to walk up like “hi my name is Jami what’s your name?” But that is a life skill if you can’t do that and make eye contact and meet new people you’re kind of screwed. So using high school as an opportunity to do that; so just like trying to meet new friends and make new connections. So registration, socialization, self advocacy freshman either are not used to or don’t want to reach out and get help or ask questions; but that’s so much a part of being a learner that you’re not gonna know everything all the time or a teacher’s directions aren’t always gonna click. So it’s ok to reach out and to ask and then I think my last thing for freshman would be coming in taking advantage of those unscheduled blocks, most freshmen have three classes a day and one 85 minute chunk. The reason why we did that is so that they could take a little bit of a break, but also get some homework done because we know so many kids are busy outside of school. But freshman I just see wandering the halls with their friends sitting outside and scrolling through their phone again; that’s fine for like 15 minutes 20 minutes take a break, but then they really should if they have homework utilize that time for homework and not just throw it away, it’s like I’ve got 85 minutes of freedom for sure.”
Adjusting to high school doesn’t happen overnight, or even over countless all-nighters filled with too many energy drinks and math that never seems to quite click. For freshmen, the first year is a period of learning like no other; understanding how to balance academics, friendships, activities, and innumerable responsibilities can seem daunting and while the transition can be bumpy at times and filled with unfathomable challenges, it also gives students the chance to grow and discover new interests and expand upon treasured passions. For freshman high school is an unfamiliar and terrifying journey that they are only at the beginning of, but with time, the maze-like hallways, new faces, and routines slowly start to unfold in a way that feels like home.