The Switch to High School
By Ross Eckman, Aiden Fayson-Demoss, and Sid Sirigam
Seven Hills Switching from Middle to High school is a significant milestone in your life. People get scared and think that the change is overwhelming and complicated. The reality is that maybe it isn’t what you think. Perhaps this change isn’t overwhelming, but it is a change for the better.
When asked about the new opportunities of 9th grade, Ricky Cassidy stated, “There are a lot more options for what classes you want to take and your electives.” You can change and add classes to peak your interests. Dr. Handler said, “ There is an opportunity for students to take honors-level classes.”
All students and teachers agreed there are many opportunities to customize your high school experience. Eli Kample said, “You can piece it all together.” You can find what fits you best.
Most students and teachers said making friends and meeting new people is easier. ” People are more open to making friends,” Jacob said. “There is definitely an opportunity to meet new people,” said Dr Handler.
Most people think that the curriculum changes dramatically with the switch, but that isn’t right.“The curriculum isn’t any harder,” said Ms Wu, the Chinese teacher, “It’s an easy transition because it’s the same curriculum.”
Freedom is one of the biggest parts of high school. People get much more leniency, which is what middle schoolers wait for. One thing that Ricky like is that “More personal freedom” and Ms. Wu likes the fact that she can “Take you guys to restaurants to practice chinese”. Another big thing that students like is that you can go anywhere during your free bells. Jacob said, “You can go anywhere…. You can go to the cafeteria, library, or anywhere you really want.”
People are worried about the change and that it might be overwhelming, but that might not be true. Jacob believes that “The biggest change is just that you’re now in high school” because he believes that it is an easy transition with subtle changes. Dr. Handler, the Latin teacher, thinks that if you “Learn the right things in 8th grade, 9th grade will be smooth and successful”.
A common misconception is that high school is entirely different, but some things stay the same. Most teachers agreed that the basic system remains the same. Dr. Handler said, “If you learn certain skills in 8th grade, 9th grade can be super successful and smooth.” You will definitely be fine if you do not struggle with lower grades. Even if you are struggling, you can communicate to teachers about help. Instead of being a completely different experience, high school adds to skills you have learned. As Jacob said, “It’s a good change.”