Another new year, another wave of eager young freshmen. Everyone’s been there. If you’re an upperclassman, think back to when you were a freshman; most of you didn’t know what to expect, right? Bullies, cliques, and the infamous “Freshmen Fridays” were some of which freshmen prepared themselves for when first entering high school. Freshman, band member, and water polo player Jeon Gordon “didn’t have any expectations” when first coming up to high school after his older siblings. Jeon later said, “getting lost was my biggest fear. I haven’t yet though”. Freshman and trumpet player Ramon Fonseca said without hesitation that his biggest high school fear was showers, but he expected high school to be “fun, exciting, and crowded”. So far it’s like he imagined.
Being a freshman and coming into high school can be fun, but it can also be a bit intimidating, mostly for one reason: upperclassmen. Everyone knows that the freshmen are always the first to be “picked on” on a daily basis and booed at during the assemblies. No one really hates freshman. The reason why some seem to “hate” them is because of the freshmen that act like they own the place, and think they’re “so cool” because they’re now in high school. It’s a matter of annoyance. Andrew Hansen, a senior, said without hesitation, “They overstep their boundaries. They come in and think they know it all because they’re a ‘big bad high schooler’”.
To all you freshmen out there: High school is nothing like the movies; you won’t be shoved into lockers or trashcanned, and I promise you that no one is going to break out into song and dance. High school’s not a big deal. Make sure you address your interests and get involved in what you like. High school is a great time to figure out what you’re interested in, so follow your interests through clubs and sports. If you like music, join choir or band. If you like writing, join journalism (there’s room!). If you enjoy running, join cross country or track and field; it’ll make the next few years a lot more fun for you. Also, there’s a difference between “cockiness” and confidence. High school is a lot different than middle school, so start the year with confidence and you won’t be seen as an “annoying freshman”. Keep in mind, no one “hates” freshmen; you guys are just newcomers. Upperclassmen like to tease because they were once in the same position- there’s no real hate. Upperclassmen mostly do it for fun because they were once ridiculed when they were freshmen. Honestly, upperclassmen don’t even pay attention to the freshmen. Freshmen are easy targets to tease, so anticipate hearing “Stupid freshmen!” and excessive “booing” at assemblies. Endure it, it won’t last; in a year, you’ll be making freshman jokes too.
Being a freshman and coming into high school can be fun, but it can also be a bit intimidating, mostly for one reason: upperclassmen. Everyone knows that the freshmen are always the first to be “picked on” on a daily basis and booed at during the assemblies. No one really hates freshman. The reason why some seem to “hate” them is because of the freshmen that act like they own the place, and think they’re “so cool” because they’re now in high school. It’s a matter of annoyance. Andrew Hansen, a senior, said without hesitation, “They overstep their boundaries. They come in and think they know it all because they’re a ‘big bad high schooler’”.
To all you freshmen out there: High school is nothing like the movies; you won’t be shoved into lockers or trashcanned, and I promise you that no one is going to break out into song and dance. High school’s not a big deal. Make sure you address your interests and get involved in what you like. High school is a great time to figure out what you’re interested in, so follow your interests through clubs and sports. If you like music, join choir or band. If you like writing, join journalism (there’s room!). If you enjoy running, join cross country or track and field; it’ll make the next few years a lot more fun for you. Also, there’s a difference between “cockiness” and confidence. High school is a lot different than middle school, so start the year with confidence and you won’t be seen as an “annoying freshman”. Keep in mind, no one “hates” freshmen; you guys are just newcomers. Upperclassmen like to tease because they were once in the same position- there’s no real hate. Upperclassmen mostly do it for fun because they were once ridiculed when they were freshmen. Honestly, upperclassmen don’t even pay attention to the freshmen. Freshmen are easy targets to tease, so anticipate hearing “Stupid freshmen!” and excessive “booing” at assemblies. Endure it, it won’t last; in a year, you’ll be making freshman jokes too.