Stress, anxiety, and fear often fill the minds of freshmen entering WHBHS for the first time. However, by the end of the first quarter, most have adjusted to high school life.

Kate Griffin said, “Comparing myself to the first day of school, I think I have adjusted a lot more than I thought I would within the first few weeks of school.” Emily Wichard agrees with Kate, and added, “The beginning of the year I had a lot of adjusting to do with the amount of work, but now I have balanced out my work load and I understand more of what my teachers expect of me.” Typically, all the apprehension freshman have for high school dissipates quickly once they get accustomed to high school life.

In the beginning of freshman year, many students struggle with the change between middle school and high school life. Reilly Dunning said, “I think it’s the social aspect that differs from most middle schools. There are kids who are three or four years older than me in the school, and it’s normal to be friends with the older kids.”

Everyone deals with this change and adjustment different ways. For example, making new friends. Emily said, “Hanging out with my old EMO friends and my new WHB friends helps me keep my mind off the stress.” Also, joining a club or a sport can help you to adjust and meet new people. Ralph Amitrano said, “Being on the football team made it easier to get used to the high school.”

Middle schoolers coming into the high school for the first time are almost always somewhat anxious and fearful. However, most have found that the stereotypical expectations of bullies and crazy amounts of homework are inaccurate. Most freshman have adjusted, however some freshmen still struggle in the high school environment. Kate said, “High school doesn’t seem as stereotypical as I thought it was, and adjusting was easy once I realized that.”