Freshman and Sophomores Adjust

This past year has robbed many students of  new opportunities and experiences. For example, the Class of 2024 did not get a proper start to high school, and the Class of 2025 did not get a full last year of middle school. “This year feels like a more genuine high school experience. Even when fully in person, last year felt incomplete,” says sophomore Miles Levine. 

 School during Covid-19 caused for a more lenient school year. According to Max Dodzuik, “There is a very noticeable difference between the difficulty in work compared to middle school, which can be expected, but when there is little to no buffer between the two the adjustment process feels much more rushed.” This phenomenon causes some to feel as though their sophomore year is their first real year of high school. Max continues, “I feel that socially the very isolating conditions of remote learning didn’t allow me to fully grasp the entirety of the high school experience. I feel that in many ways this is a year for firsts, and so far I have proven myself right.” Others feel differently. Hannah Kozak, a sophomore says,  “It doesn’t really feel like the first year of high school for me, because I was half in school last year, and then went all in at the end. As the year progresses and I experience some of what was cancelled [last year] I might change my mind.”

“I like the feeling of independence when it comes to my educational career…” says Max. High school offers a new sense of freedom — students eat where they like, some are able to leave during study hall, and they choose what classes they  take. This is the first time the class of 2024 is truly experiencing it. Leila Stojanovic reflects,  “School is much more interactive and social, but there is also more work.” Because the 2021-2022 sophomores still had something of a freshman year, they adapted to these changes faster. 

It is understandable for freshmen to find transition overwhelming.  “I feel out of place, and it is a very dramatic change” states Callum Feeney. Callum likes  his teachers as well as how rules are enforced, but he stills says, “I do not feel like a high schooler.” Covid-19 has made it so difficult for everyone to get back to a “normal” life.