High school is an important transition period for teenagers. It is a time for them to leave their comfort zone and explore new subjects, extracurriculars, and join clubs. Although the thought of coming to a new school is thrilling to many new freshmen, there are also worries lurking in the back of their minds. What are some of these fears, and how can they be addressed and overcome?

There are many things a new high school student can be worried about, including social dilemmas, time management, or navigation. 

One of these points is shared by freshman Hailee Gonzalez.

“My worry was that I’d continue to be very introverted and conservative, and not talk to many people,” Gonzalez shared.

Often, when people enter a new unfamiliar setting, it’s likely for them to get back into their shell, making it harder to socialize with people. In high school, there are new classrooms, buildings, students, and staff, all of which is a lot to take in. This can be overwhelming for some freshmen, who will take a lot of time to adapt. Gonzalez’s experience, however, turned out differently. 

“I ended up going back to my usual extroverted self, though, because I interacted with a lot of people this year,” Gonzalez shared.

Sometimes, the best way to open up to others is simply to try speaking to them and being more assertive. For some people like Gonzalez, the path to being more extroverted is to try to hold a conversation and learn more about other people. Making connections in high school can lead to amazing friendships and personal growth, so taking that extra step can lead to a huge change in how someone perceives their whole experience in high school.

Another common worry students may have is managing their time wisely. With all these new classes, it can be overwhelming to keep track of everything.

“I was afraid of the workload that I would face with all these new classes, and how I could manage my time.” Banala shared. “I was also stressing about which classes would have the most work, and whether I’d get distracted or not.”

It’s common to stress about managing time well with the sudden increase in homework. In high school, some people need to develop new work habit patterns, while others need an increase in the time they spend doing schoolwork. However, students often face multiple different distractions. Senior Lola Park offers some advice on how to deal with this.

“If you’re a screenager like me, it’s really hard to get off your phone! To help with that, I set screen time limits on certain apps like instagram and tik tok; which force me to spend my phone-time and work-time wisely. Sure, I sometimes click ‘remind me in 15 minutes.’ But it’s still a good break from listless scrolling!”

Setting a screen time limit for most used apps is a great reminder that there is material left to study, or homework left to do. For organizing work and keeping track of things, sophomore Kaarthiga Selvakkumaran shares what works best for her.

“I manage my time wisely by starting an assignment the moment I get home, no matter how tired I am. Usually, if I do that, I’m able to get on a roll and be able to keep working. I also use a small agenda to remember what work I have, because writing things down makes me feel more accomplished,” she said.

Often, taking a moment to start an assignment or start studying is a big motivator to continue working on it. This leads to higher productivity, and students will have an easier time getting all the work done.

One of the biggest fears by far that most students have, however, is getting a bad grade on a test. For many freshmen and high school students in general, a bad test grade feels like the end of the world. This is shared by freshman Wendy Wu.

“I’d say one of my biggest fears was the fear of failure. I don’t like the feeling of being disappointed by my grades or freaking out over exam stress,” Wu said.

Mistakes will always be made, but it depends on the person whether they choose to learn from it or consider it an irreversible failure. Sophomore Kyana Enoch advises other students not to worry too much.

“People shouldn’t fret too much about tests, or they could overstress themselves before taking it. Take your time and trust yourself. If you studied, you should be fine!”

If students put effort into studying for a test and cover the proper material, they should have confidence in themselves to score high on it. By using their time management skills, they can create time for study sessions while maintaining their regular schedule.

Entering high school comes with a lot of new experiences for every freshman. Their concerns with this transition are natural. By acknowledging these fears, students can find ways to overcome them and gain confidence, which can lead to a lot more growth. So to the new freshmen: take high school as a chance to explore interests, and make the best out of the next four years.

Photo by Caitlyn Chau