Going into high school
By my good friend Cassie Lee
Entering a new environment with new surroundings can be overwhelming, especially when told of how horrible it is going to be. However, every person must make his or her own assumption, instead of listening to someone else. High school freshmen had to learn this by listening to their junior high teachers and then finding out that high school is something completely different.
Being the top class at a school allows power, privileges, and confidence. As eighth graders, students showed no fear of anything. Instead they found humor in the fear of their younger companions, the sixth graders. Ironically, in a year, they would be placed in to a much more massive school, and become what they mocked, the school’s lower class.
Being eighth graders, students felt comfortable with their surroundings, and knew their place as head of the school. However, as the year ended, rumors began to surface from middle school teachers of untrusting, unforgiving, uncaring, high school teachers haunted them. High School became something feared. Middle school teachers lectured about how high school teachers would not put up with any nonsense or horseplay. Tardiness would be unforgivable, and punishments would be severe. Students at high school would be smothered with homework everyday, and all work would be extremely hard. Teacher after teacher explained how high school would be much harder than any incoming freshman could imagine. This “heads up” of which middle school teachers told their students would give every incoming freshman the idea of high school being a nightmare, when to some High school may seem to be more of a dream.
“High school was nothing like I thought it would be,” stated a current Clear Creek freshman. Year after year, about 1,200 new freshmen realize the difference in how they thought high school, and how it really is.
Once the panic of the situation dies down and the comfort begins to settle in, freshmen begin to comprehend and compare their eighth grade year to high school. “High school has much more freedom, and ability to do what you want,” said one freshman attending Creek. A majority of incoming freshmen every year often find out that high school is not even half as rough as they were told.
Changes can be good or bad, it depends on the person’s attitude towards the situation. After being groomed to fear high school, the reality begins to settle in. The difference in and making self-decisions, and believing another’s judgment could be completely dissimilar. The explanation of high school from television, movies, and middle school teachers is a fearful one. However, do not trust what you hear, for you must witness and experience, and make your own assumptions.
