Crowded halls, giants hovering above, lost in the sea of people. High school can be a scary place the first day of school freshman year.

Starting out, many freshmen do not know what to expect.

“I always thought that high school would be this busy place that you have to do all these things, every day,” freshman Katy Atkins said. “But it’s not.”

With the switch between schools, there are many different conditions to adjust to.

“The hardest change was the atmosphere,” freshman Joe Walsh said. “All high schoolers have their certain spots and you are expected to find yours.” 

High school is where you make your mark, and to freshmen that can be intimidating.

“Starting high school I just had a fear that I wouldn’t measure up to a standard,” freshman Isabelle Gilbert said. “There is no teacher standing behind your back; it all comes solely from you.”

In high school, grades matter and work becomes more serious, making it a stressful place.

“You have to find that happy medium,” freshman English I teacher Jenna Sutton said. “Where you realize all you need is to try to do your best.”

The work intensity is what sets high school apart from middle school.

“I definitely did not expect the amount of preparation needed for a test,” Gilbert said. “I quickly  had to learn how to study effectively and efficiently.”

As a freshman, many face the challenge of upperclassmen.

“The toughest transition for me was the constant name calling,” Atkins said. “Being the youngest in the class, rather being the oldest in the middle school.”

The future begins to seem within reach once you’re in high school.

“In high school, you start to figure out what you like and what you may want to pursue in life,” Gilbert said. “So I think that’s interesting.”

Independence and freedom are a big part of high school.

“I want them to get used to doing the little things [to prepare],” said Sutton. “They make a big difference in being organized.”

On top of all the work, extracurriculars can make it hard to find time for homework.

“I definitely have a busier schedule in high school than in middle school,” Atkins said. “But if you space out your time, you can get everything done with more to spare.”

Although it is scary, freshman are not alone.

“They need to realize that teachers are people, and when something happens they can come talk to them,” Sutton said. “I hope that they know we have an open door.”