The Wingspan

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The Wingspan

The Wingspan

A Freshman Perspective

Words: Xander Mauer

Freshman year is a time of great change and uncertainty for many people. Most upperclassmen are well adjusted to the high school experience and often forget how strange it all was on their first day of high school. It is important to understand the perspective of current freshmen in order to properly empathize with them and help them feel welcome.

Many freshmen were quite surprised by the lack of space in the halls, due to Centennial’s student body reaching 1,614 students in total this year. Comparing this to middle schools, which usually have less than one thousand students, it’s no surprise that the newest class is a little overwhelmed.

High school seems to be more similar to middle school than most would think. Most freshmen said that the biggest and most noticeable difference is simply that lockers are not used as much.

Freshman Ahmed Hussin’s transition has been almost seamless.

“[The biggest difference so far has been] carrying our backpacks all day,” Hussin observed.

Something many students may recall is the anticipation during the summer between eighth and ninth grade. In middle school, teachers always stressed that everything assigned was in preparation for high school, which is just preparation for college. This constant reminder of the future can make it seem like a scary unknown, but it turns out that is not the case.

Freshman Sean May has found that high school is less intimidating than he thought. “The middle school [I went to] over-hyped high school,” stated May.

This seems to be a common occurrence, as Hussin agreed. “Middle school teachers made [high school] sound way harder [than it is].”

Although some freshmen find high school to be the standard schooling experience they have gotten used to, others have not been so lucky. The majority of students lamented over the increased homework. Freshman Ian MacIver noticed the difference in the way classes are taught.

“[There is] less time spent on each topic in classes,” MacIver noted.

The class of 2022 manages to hold onto hope in the face of these struggles, finding solace in extracurriculars. Almost every single freshman surveyed said that their biggest anticipation in school is actually an out-of-school experience.

Some freshmen aspire to make a contribution to the school sports teams, while others find enjoyment in joining clubs to be with friends after school. Regardless of what one considers their preferred activity, there is a place for them somewhere among the many extracurriculars at Centennial.

Freshmen often feel ostracized from the other classes, but it is important to remember that all students have been in their shoes. Each and every student can get overwhelmed, especially when immersed in an unfamiliar situation. Freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior: in the end, they are all just students who want to make the most out of their high school experience.

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