The incessant blare of the school bell rings noisily for the first time in two months, and a sea of bodies anxiously makes the trek inside. Apprehensive, students glance warily around the first corridor and come upon a startling realization. This is their first year as high schoolers…in other words… freshmen. 

  A number of freshmen students, only on the second day, may come to realize that high school may not be as foreboding as they may have originally thought. “It can be unnerving being at the bottom of the ‘food chain’ as I like to call it, but like I said, no one really cares,” said Jake Bauer, freshman.

  And although high school stereotypes and hierarchy may plague some students, Bauer said, “A good thing to know is that the upper class won’t bother you unless you bother them. They’re a lot like bees.”

  And although stress from upperclassmen may weigh them down, teachers are there to provide help every step of the way. Bauer said, “The teachers are nice, good people. As long as you do your work, they won’t get frustrated with you.”

  Another student, Eli Schneckloth, freshman, agreed with Bauer’s claim, as well as mentioning his agreement with the amount of freedom they’ve been bestowed as a class.

  Schneckloth, freshman, said, “I like my teachers. We definitely have more freedom in high school, like more exciting labs in science.”

  One difference between middle school and high school could be the amount of homework assigned. But this year, Bauer has a light load, at least so far. Bauer said, “The workload hasn’t been too bad, but the year is young and I’m sure it will get larger.”

  Schneckloth would agree, as his load is at least one to two hours per night. “It’s not as bad as I was expecting,” he said.

  Transitioning from middle school to high school, there is always the possibility of change.  Thankfully, passing periods are not one of these. “Passing periods are no different [from middle school],” said Bauer. “The high school can be a maze, but it doesn’t take long to get to know where you need to be.”

  Yet the most major influence on the freshmen may be the size of the class itself. But Bauer made sure to rebuke that.

  “There are a lot of names, too many to remember,” said Bauer. But numbers don’t always matter. “I have not given our numbers much thought,” he said.

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Danielle Black, Staff Reporter