Will I be looked down upon? What if I can’t make any friends? The workload is going to be crazy. Many incoming freshmen have false premonitions that cloud their minds and fill them to the brim with a mix of uncertainty and fear. After all, high school is a whole new ballgame, with soon-to-be adults and high expectations. However, one can only make an informed opinion after experiencing a new environment for themselves, and it’s not so scary after all.

Coming in to high school, freshman Marx Pena admitted that he was surprised. “I was told it was going to be hard, but it’s not as hard as I thought it would be.” As a student in the Space and Engineering Academy (SEA), Pena revealed that he is not a fan of the homework. He really enjoys the sports and recently ended his first season on the cross country team.

Freshman Paul Garin was also on the cross country team and shared similar thoughts on joining high school. “Honestly I thought it would be pretty tough, but it’s not too hard.” Garin plans to graduate SEA with honors and is currently taking one Pre-AP class.

Freshman Josie Voss was also excited to be in SEA, yet she was apprehensive of joining high school as a new environment. “I was a mixture of scared and confident to be around new people,” Voss stated. However, she said that she has made many new friends and knew more people than she had expected.

For those of us that have been in the mix for quite some time, high school has become a normal part of our lives, and eventually it will be for this year’s freshmen. Every year, new people are exposed to the realities and joys of being a freshman. Although it may take time, these four years will hold many memories, and as Pena stated, “It’s going to be one wild ride.”