The students from every new freshman class that enters PHS expect new complications, and yet, they get hit with much more than they predicted. This year, we asked freshman students about how they felt about the transition from middle to high school.
The most common responses to the hardest things to adjust to were the change in schedule, the workload, and managing time, and the results are listed below:
Freshmen Alexis Delgado, Ethan Shields, and Luana Milla elaborated on these answers, and they immediately began to discuss the difference in class periods.
Delgado said, “I feel like shorter classes [were] better, [in middle school] to fit more things during the day, but I like how I don’t have all my classes on the same day, so I have different homework for different days.” Milla added, “[Longer classes] Aren’t always fun, it can drain my energy a lot.” However, Shields was less bothered by the longer periods, saying, “they are a lot longer, but sometimes the classes don’t feel that long, so it’s fine.”
While navigating the school has been trouble for some, with some practice and assistance, students eventually figure it out.
Delgado said, ”I’ve visited the school over the summer for volleyball, so, I’ve been able to know where my classes are.” Milla added, “[Navigating the school] was really easy, because I had a map, which made the process easier.” Shields initially ran into some difficulty, but it got easier over time. He said, “I had a hard time navigating the Anthony building, but, with memorizing the routes to my classes, it goes well.”
The students agreed that they have more work to do in high school, and they had to restructure how their life is balanced.
Shields stated, “Outside of school, I put a lot more time into my class work than I usually do for school.” Delgado agreed, “Outside of school I would say, once I get home, I do all my homework, [compared] to last year, I would’ve done my homework later…I also have more homework to do this year.” Milla also expresses how “I have no time for anything after school, except clubs, but even then…It’s also harder to get work done with shorter time.”
Even with all the changes at the high school, the freshmen all agreed that their peers have helped make the transition enjoyable.
According to Delgado, “I think my favorite class, right now, would be science, because I have the most friends in there.” Milla said, “I like my choir class, the people there are very supportive too.”
The freshmen also agreed that the high school had more opportunities for students to express their creative side.
Milla said, “I like how many creative classes there are, unlike middle school, we have a lot more creative classes and clubs.” When being asked about his favorite class, Shields responded, “Probably Social Studies class, or my creative drama class.”
We are planning to check in again with the freshman at the end of the year to get feedback on how their year has gone and see what tips they have for next year’s class!
