Starting high school is something many students look forward to for years. Movies, social media and adults often make high school seem exciting, full of freedom, parties and fun experiences. However, for many freshmen, the reality is very different from what they expected. Through interviews with freshmen students Lauryn McElveen, Yemi Komolafe, Abigail Rivas, Mia Lopez and Nathaile Torres, it was shown that high school is more stressful, stricter and academically challenging than they’ve imagined even though there are still positive parts of the experience.
Many freshmen entered high school expecting more freedom and exciting social events. Instead, students explained that high school feels very similar to middle school, only stricter and more about academics.
“I thought there would be freedom and much more different, but it’s the same,” McElveen said.
“I thought there was going to be parties,” Komolafe said. Rivas added that she expected freedom, but high school felt “more like jail.”
Mia Lopez explained that high school is mostly “stay at home, do homework, no function,” while Torres described it as “middle school but way stricter.” These responses show that many freshmen quickly realize that high school involves more responsibility and academic pressure than they originally expected.
Another major topic students discussed was the stereotypes about freshmen. Many upperclassmen believe freshmen are immature or strange, but the students interviewed strongly disagreed with those stereotypes.
McElveen explained, “They think that freshmen are weird and childish, but we’re actually mature.”
Komolafe said, “They think that we’re too new to everything.”
Torres also stated, “We’re not weird.” These comments reveal that those stereotypes show how freshmen often feel misunderstood by upperclassmen even though they are trying their best to adjust to a new environment and prove themselves.
Students also discussed the heavy academic workload and stress that comes with high school. Students explained that there is much more work and pressure than they expected. “The work is a lot of work, but the pep rallies are lit,” Rivas said. Mia Lopez shared that “paragraphs and essays and making sure you don’t fail” are some of the hardest parts of freshman year.
Torres stated, “The work is easier, but it’s just a lot of work.” Komolafe also mentioned how stressful exams can be explaining that “the finals are very new to us and very stressful.” These show that many freshmen struggle with balancing assignments, studying and the pressure to succeed while also adjusting to a completely new environment.
Even though students have talked about stress and challenges, they’ve also found positive parts of high school. Rivas said she was surprised by how exciting the pep rallies are, while Lopez explained that the school is nice and mentioned that the cafeteria is big inside the high school. McElveen described high school as “fun.” These comments really show that although high school may not fully match students’ expectations, there’re still enjoyable experiences that help make freshman year memorable.
Overall, the interviews reveal that freshman year is often very different from what students originally imagine. Many students expect freedom, parties and excitement, but instead experience stricter rules, heavy workloads and academic stress. At the same time, freshmen want others to understand that they are more mature than stereotypes.
Although high school comes with challenges with ups and downs, students are still able to find enjoyable moments and slowly adjust to their new environment over time.
