2023 Invasion

Coming down the hill and attending high school can be a nerve-wracking experience for some freshmen. As we all know, the school year has started and the 2023 class has invaded Licking Valley High School. After speaking to 5 kids from the freshmen class, it’s fair to conclude that the transition is daunting, but freeing.

On the first day of school, Josie Dehaman was nervous about lunch. She feared that “there were going to be too many people” in her lunch period and she wasn’t going to have anywhere to sit. Similarly, her tablemate Maddie Blume found herself to be “scared of all the people” on her first day of school. However, the two were able to find positives about the high school; such as, carrying around their book bags because “you have everything you need” (Maddie Blume) and surprisingly, “rushing between classes” (Josie Dehaman).

On Drew Hampton’s first day of school, he thought he was going to get bullied. As a freshman, he found the upperclassmen to be intimidating. To his surprise, he didn’t. In fact, his day “was like, really chill.” He found himself enjoying “having classes with upperclassmen.” Likewise, Alahana McCoy thought high school was going to be far worse than middle school. She said, “I thought people would be mean. That’s how all the movies show it!”

Unlike the other cases, Theo Cecil didn’t find himself anxious about the first day of school. He acted like it was any other day. He appreciates the different schedule, including “not sitting in class as long” as he did in middle school.

Overall, the freshmen have had an optimistic view about their first two weeks of high school as most do once they have settled in.

As someone who has survived three years at Licking Valley High School, my advice for freshmen would be to take your classes seriously. Your grades from freshman year follow you until you graduate; your first year is just as significant as any other. I’ve recently realized how fast high school has gone, so even when fear causes hesitation, remember how fast time can really fly. You only have four years of high school so savor it. Learn and grow from it. You’d be surprised who you turn out to be on the other side.