Everyone who goes through high school has the freshman experience. A new school, new teachers, new building. Far fewer go through the process as a sophomore, junior, or senior.
For some, the move from one school to another is difficult. That school may have been in another country or just next door. No matter where it is, everyone’s experiences are different. But one thing all of these new students share is being robbed of the same freshmen, sophomore and sequential years experiences as their peers.
One familiar concern is the different courses offered at new schools and how it affects the goals of these new students. When talking about LS, junior Nareelana Spiro said, “I really liked the classes that were offered. They had a lot of diverse classes but not enough AP classes and I felt that the school might have a disadvantage”.
For many students, this issue causes worry about what is to come after high school. How does this new school affect their chances of getting into the school, program, or role of employment that they had once thought certain at their old school? Or does the new school help these chances? Aside from the educational pressure, there is also a great level of stress that comes with assimilating into a new school.
“I felt really sad because I had to leave my old friends and it was nerve-wracking to make new friends,” Spiro said.
And she wasn’t the only new student who felt this way.
“It felt bad to leave my old school. I miss it and sometimes feel homesick,” Junior Teviya Nasr said.
Although the first couple of weeks are always difficult, many of these new students were lucky to have someone willing to help them.
“I felt like more people, or at least the people that I knew, were more welcoming, and the teachers were also very nice,” Spiro said.
No matter what support Spiro and Nasr got from teachers, there were still some challenges that came with being new.
“The first week was difficult because not a lot of people spoke to me,” Nasr said.
This sentiment is not new. Many students in new classes, teams, clubs or schools feel this way but as these new students have found their way into the LS life they feel more comfortable in their new home. In fact, they had some time to reflect on their experiences and have a new perspective as well as some advice for students like them.
Spiro said, “Don’t be afraid to talk to people because they are nicer than you think.”
“I would tell them to bring a packed lunch,” joked Nasr.
In all seriousness, being a new student is difficult. It can be a lonely process and there is a lot of adjusting that comes with being a new student in the middle or (especially) the end of your high school experience but as these students said, reach out to new people, eat a good lunch, and it will all be okay.