From intimidating upperclassmen to long, confusing hallways, high school is a frightening place for incoming freshmen. High school lasts four years and can significantly  influence students’ futures, so it’s only natural to be afraid.

Scary things like making new friends, finding classes and getting along with teachers are a big part of coming to high school.  Mallory Hartsell, an 8th grader, is most scared of “The size of the school and the amount of people.” And Denise Jackson, a freshman, admitted that “When I was an 8th grader, I was most scared of not graduating.”

Incoming freshmen get startled by how big our school is.  In terms of population, Thomas Worthington is ranked 64th in Ohio.  We have nearly 1,600 students, and this can be overwhelming. After a while the hallways seem to shrink and worrying about making it to your class within five minutes eventually turns into thinking of all you can do between classes.

On the first day of school making it on time to your classes is difficult enough, but getting there and not getting along with your teachers is even worse. Teachers here are actually very helpful and understanding if you talk with them.  The key to getting along with teachers is to communicate so they can understand where you’re coming from. 

Making friends is a big concern upon entering high school.  There are freshmen from other middle schools and upperclassmen – who supposedly hate you – roaming the halls in packs of previously formed social groups. Not to worry though: you’ll be in classes with these people, and it’s guaranteed that you’ll find common ground in despising mornings and busy-work.  Plus it’s useful to make friends with upperclassmen because they can explain processes and share insights .

After a long 10 months as a freshman, my view of being one has certainly changed. Nothing is as bad as I thought it would be. I’ve made plenty of new friends and have even rekindled past friendships. Despite not having one class with my friends, I see them multiple times throughout the day. The ginormous stairs that I feared falling down on the first day aren’t so big anymore, and my teachers are actually very easy to get along with. Most of all I’ve learned that high school isn’t that scary.