The average freshman has various thoughts coursing through their mind throughout the day. Picking classes for the following year, upperclassmen anxiety, and the challenging workload can take a toll on young students. For many freshmen, the stress can be overwhelming but luckily there are ways to relieve school induced stress.

Fresh out of 8th grade, the workload of freshmen year can be quite a shock for the average freshmen. Teachers are not as lenient with due dates, tests start to become more frequent, and the curriculum intensifies. Freshman Bella Bougatsos’ fears entering high school were, “The upperclassmen, keeping all my friends, and also maintaining good grades.”

Friend groups are also constantly changing, which is an additional factor that can lead to stress. A different source of anxiety is sophomore year, specifically how they will manage the increasingly difficult workload. Freshman Luke Mautone said, “My fears going into sophomore year are  taking on more difficult electives and AP classes and managing my time.”

Fortunately, as the year progressed, freshmen became more accustomed to the day to day dilemmas of freshmen year and began to identify what personally works for them to relax. After a long school day, most students are sleep-deprived, and choose to relieve stress by taking a nap.  Others find comfort in after school sports to clear their mind of the running thoughts about their after school obligations. Since their freshman time, juniors Bella Tobin and Josh Cunniff both agree that they have learned valuable lessons from freshmen year that have made them the person they are today.