![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/frosh2.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nBy Kate Salvo and Sarah Carlsen
Staff Writers<\/p>\n
Photo by Vincenzo Digristina
Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As the class of 2017 begins to encounter life in the high school, there are many mixed feelings. Some thought the high school was intimidating, while others got the hang of it quickly. Now that the year has begun, students are getting used to the larger school and the differences between being eighth graders and high school freshmen.<\/p>\n
One of the most noticeable differences between the middle school and the high school is the length of the classes. Many freshmen say it\u2019s beneficial. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely better; there\u2019s more time to get stuff done,\u201d said Cindy Henchen . Some, however, haven\u2019t gotten used to the change from the 40 minute classes in middle school. \u201cIt\u2019s too long and I get bored,\u201d said freshman Julia Kelner. \u201cI feel like I should be done with my classes, but I have to stay in them,\u201d said Alexandra Scibilia . Other students added that it depends on which class you\u2019re in, some can get boring, while it\u2019s helpful in others. \u201cLunches should be 80 minutes long,\u201d added Alexandra Street.<\/p>\n
Another noticeable difference is the size of the school, and while some freshman have become accustomed to a larger school, others struggle to find their way around. The major issue people have encountered is the staircases that connect the different hallways. Multiple freshmen said their first day was difficult, but that once you found the location of the stairs it got easier. Others didn\u2019t have trouble with the size of the school. \u201cThe high school isn\u2019t hard to navigate, mainly because we had tours before school started. The tours helped us get an understanding of the school overall,\u201d said Henchen.<\/p>\n
While the high school brings new changes, there are many things this year\u2019s freshman miss about middle school. \u201cThe middle school was smaller and it was easier to get places without being late. In middle school, they don\u2019t punish you if you\u2019re not right on time,\u201d said Willa Shiomos. Others agreed, adding that the middle school was more lenient if you forgot something at home, and it was less stressful. The three different lunch periods were also a topic students had differing opinions on. \u201cI miss having lunch with the whole grade,\u201d said Kelner, but Henchen likes being able to see her older friends. \u201cI like being able to see my friends in higher grades,\u201d said Henchen.<\/p>\n
The freedoms and opportunities given in the high school are well appreciated among freshman. \u201cActivity period is helpful, and the clubs are fun,\u201d said Tommy Armenta . \u201cHigh school is way better than middle school,\u201d said Akbar Qahar. Others said that it\u2019s nice to have your teachers available after school because you can ask them if you have any questions. \u201cThe high school offers more freedom, and you feel like more of an adult,\u201d agreed Kristina Bell.<\/p>\n
Most students have had no problems regarding scheduling, according to guidance counselor Diane Ennis. When students have encountered an issue, it mainly has to do with electives. \u201cMany students have been forced to take a study hall because of lack of space in electives,\u201d said Mrs. Ennis. \u201cThe freshman have been very flexible with their schedules defaulting to a study hall,\u201d said fellow guidance counselor Laura Bond.<\/p>\n
Freshman Katie Tzivanis was not expecting to have to take a study hall after switching out of Ceramics. She wanted to take Current Events but the class was full. Tzivanis ended up taking Media Productions One for the first semester. During the second semester, she was placed in a study hall. \u201cI\u2019m frustrated because Media Two is available during the second semester, but it\u2019s full. They might be able to squeeze me in, but it\u2019s doubtful, \u201d said Tzivanis.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the first couple of days, the students seem to be getting used to the new environment,\u201d said Mrs. Ennis. Mrs. Bond said that something freshman had noticed was that the high school has very different expectations than the middle school. \u201cThe teachers and students have done a great job adjusting,\u201d said Mrs. Bond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Kate Salvo and Sarah Carlsen Staff Writers Photo by Vincenzo Digristina Staff Photographer As the class of 2017 begins to encounter life in the high school, there are many mixed feelings. Some thought the high school was intimidating, while others got the hang of it quickly. Now that the year has begun, students are getting used […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3614"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3614\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jdrampage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}