As the school year winds down, we asked four freshmen what their thoughts were about their first year in high school and what it was like transitioning from middle school.

Has your freshman year been what you expected?

Marissa Golden: This year was what I expected: challenging and different in comparison to middle school.

Reece Klein: The amount of work had been more than I had anticipated. It has been a big adjustment from coming from the middle school.

Dylan Gately:  I came into this year thinking that it would be just like middle school, but I was horribly wrong. It was much tougher on me –  not only mentally, but physically. I joined three sports, and having them every day after school can be pretty tough. High school was not what I expected, but I have really have enjoyed my year so far.

Jack Maguire: Going into freshman year, I didn’t know what to expect. Surprisingly, the transition from middle school to high school was not as harsh as I expected. The work load was not that much larger and the transition was easier than I had thought it would be.

Was it hard for you to get used to high school?

Golden: It was hard at first because the first few weeks of school were very different from middle school. We were piled with many things, like starting a four year journey, maintaining a high GPA, etc.. The addition of sports after school every day was hard to get used to after having practice once a week in middle school.

Klein: It was pretty difficult at first, but I eventually picked up on things. The work load is so much larger. I had to adapt to doing homework, sports and managing my time all at once. Other than that, everything was easy to get used to.

Gately: It was extremely hard for me to get used to the high school. It took me nearly half the year to get my head straight and start being a better student. I think the stress can really pile up on you freshman year. But, you have to deal with it and realize that this is your first of four years you have to get ready for college and career.

Maguire: It did not take very long. At first, the work seemed so much more than middle school, but in reality it wasn’t. Later in the year, I came to the conclusion that high school did not feel that much different than the middle school.

Have you participated in any high school sports or activities and how was the experience?

Golden: Yes, I have participated in soccer, basketball and now track. I didn’t expect to enjoy the sports as much as I did, but I made many new friendships and learned a variety of new things from each sport while being pushed and coached into a better player. I am also participating in student council, and I think that it is a great way to do something for the school and have fun with it.

Klein: I did soccer and I am doing track. I do student council too. It was fun and overall a good experience. I met a lot of new people and it made me feel like I was a part of the school.

Gately: I joined the soccer, basketball and baseball teams this year, and I became the class vice president. Sure, it’s a lot to handle, but I love my positions on these teams dearly. Running for office was really fun, and I get along well with other the officers. Extracurricular activities give me something to do every day, and give me initiative to keep my grades up.

Maguire: In my freshman year, I have participated in football, basketball, and baseball. It is much more competitive at the high school level than at the middle school level. Having better competition is only going to make me a better player so I enjoy high school sports much better.