The Transition to High School

By Macey Keim

     In High School, Freshmen get dirty looks, pushed around, and frequently get yelled at for walking too slowly. This is different from the Junior High, where eighth graders are the top dogs. Eighth graders walk down the hallway and the seventh graders move out of the way. Understandably, this is quite a transition for incoming freshmen.

   Another major change for Freshmen is the bigger building. At first, the High School is very intimidating. The fear of not remembering their schedules, getting lost, not having enough time between classes, and falling down the stairs stands worryingly at their doorstep the whole first week of school. After the first couple weeks, however, the intimidation of the building dies down and the only problem seems to be getting to class on time.

    In addition to changing buildings, there are many more classes to choose from.  “I like the more challenging classes because they get me ready for the next step,” says Zayn Qureshi, a Carterville freshman who is taking Advanced Geometry. At the Junior High School, they do not give students the opportunity to choose what classes they take, and enrollment in advanced courses is decided for them. Students are assigned to specific science, social studies, and language arts classes, and advanced courses are limited to math only.

    At the High School, students get more challenges, responsibility, freedom, and most importantly, have more fun! Perhaps the transition to High School is not as it scary as it first seemed. Watch out upperclassmen, the stupid freshmen are getting smarter every day!