The transition from middle to high school is often a difficult and intimidating one. Students typically don’t know what to expect from their freshmen year, and adapting to this new environment can be a big adjustment.

As a student who felt that middle school was a walk in the park, I expected high school to be the same. I was completely wrong. High school is incredibly challenging, especially for those who took an AP class (World History AP) during their freshmen year. World History AP was probably one of the hardest classes that I have ever taken so far, and truly did push me to my limits for the better. It demanded the best of my time management skills and forced me to learn how to write and think at a quick pace under stress. After taking this AP class, I left with a greater sense of knowledge, but I also gained new skills and improved the way that I learned.

Math class was a bit different. Along with many other freshmen students, I chose to skip Pre-Algebra in middle school. From there, I would go on to take Algebra in 7th grade, Geometry in 8th grade, and then Algebra 2/Trigonometry in 9th grade. Algebra 2/Trigonometry was very different from my other middle school math classes. It introduced many new concepts and broadened my knowledge of math.

As for the rest of my subjects, they were quite challenging as well. Everything that I learned this year was completely new to me, which was expected. High school exceeded my expectations. I made many new friends and reunited with old ones, and I found that all the teachers were passionate in what they did.

However, not all hope is lost for new freshmen students coming to Quartz Hill next year. There are several things that a new freshman could do to adapt to the vigorous, fast-paced environment of high school much quicker, like staying organized and having a positive attitude. One tip that I would emphasize strongly to new students is to manage your time wisely. Although procrastination is very common among high school students, I’d strongly recommend trying to avoid it by all means. Holding onto work until it’s due causes lots of stress, and it’s not worth staying up late for a project that you could have finished in class. This type of situation can easily be avoided by simply spreading out your work. By steering clear of procrastination you will you feel more relaxed as you work or study.

In the end, high school is nothing like middle school. However, this is reasonable due to the fact that high school is the stepping stone for moving into college.  Freshmen year flies by surprisingly quickly though, and is overall a great experience and benefitted me in many ways. My freshman year at Quartz Hill High School was a spectacular experience, and I’m excited and nervous for my sophomore year.