Entering high school can be challenging and nerve-wracking. Often you hear scary rumors and might worry that you won’t come out alive. As seventh and eighth graders, you might be tempted to believe them because you don’t know any better. In this article, I will be addressing these kinds of rumors and helping you understand which rumors to trust.
According to a recent survey of 94 seventh- to ninth-grade students, the five most common rumors about high school are the following.
- Seniors will bully the freshmen.
As a now rising sophomore, I can confirm that this is not true. The seniors are not physically or verbally rude to the freshman, and they do not purposely try to bully you. To be honest, the seniors are too busy with college applications to go out of their way and be rude to you. On the contrary, you will learn to love them, and some of them will become your friends, and when they graduate, oh, how you will miss them. Personally, I love the seniors and have become friends with a lot of them through my various activities. I am so sad that they are leaving.
- The workload in high school is unmanageable.
High school is harder than junior high, but the workload is not impossible. On the contrary, you have a lot of support. Teachers often give class time to finish homework, you will have study hall, and teachers are available for office hours. It is important, though, not to miss class. I missed 3 days of school due to a school event at the beginning of the year, and it took me a week to make up all the work. The good news is that if you meet with your teachers, they are most likely going to be understanding and try to help you make it up. “Whenever I’m remotely confused about something that we’re doing in class, I just ask the teacher if I can come to office hours, and I just see them the next morning, and it helps me understand the material much better,” said Arianna Frances ‘28.
- There are lots of tests and quizzes given on short notice.
In high school, some teachers will put tests and quizzes on the portal months in advance, but will only mention it a week before the test or quiz happens, so it is your responsibility to check your portal and see if there are any upcoming tests. In the beginning, it was a lot, but once we got into the year, it was more manageable and now it’s normal and it’s getting easier to manage,” said Isolde Scoville’28. “Remember, teachers are not there to make your life horrible and give you tests the next day just for fun. If they do give you a last-minute quiz, though, it is normally open notes or very easy and self-explanatory.
- Friend groups grow apart.
The harsh reality is that, yes, some friends drift apart, but only the ones that are not meant to be together. “When freshman year started, I sat with a group of friends I had known for a while, but with such a big change from middle school, our behaviors changed as well, and soon enough, we drifted apart,” said Fabiana Lauria ’28. “It doesn’t happen because you did something or because it’s all your fault–people change and want to try new things and make new friends.”
- Sophomore year is the hardest.
As a freshman, I have not experienced sophomore year yet, but I have heard that first semester sophomore year is challenging because there is an increase in workload, and students are just not used to it. “Sophomore year was definitely difficult, especially because I took APUSH,” said Eva Castaneda ’26. “I struggled a bit with my grades in the second half of the year, ironically, not the first half. Still, I did manage to bring them up and pass with a grade that I was satisfied with. As long as you put in the effort and the hours and listen to what your teachers recommend for you to do, you will succeed. Just remember it only gets better from here on out,” she said.
So, overall, don’t listen to everything you hear because most things are exaggerated and meant to scare you. If you prepare for high school and try not to procrastinate too much, you will be fine.
