11 stories, 607 freshmen, and a whole lot of fears. This year a new group of freshmen students are coming into North Atlanta High School. Many are excited about a new change, but most are apprehensive about the new school. From having to make new friends, to more challenging work and stricter teachers, to not being able to find your way around the school; everyone has that one fear that is slowly eating at them.
As soon as you enter high school, everything becomes real. You have to be careful at every turn because just one slip-up could determine the rest of your semester. Your grades have now started to count towards your GPA, which impacts your college track. What colleges you will get into, what other classes you are eligible to take, and even if you’ll be able to move on to the next grade. “One of my biggest fears is staying on top of my classes and not falling behind,” freshman Ellery Brannen said.
The best way to pass any of your classes is to get to class on time, every time. North Atlanta is a huge school, consisting of many floors, so it can be very hard to navigate. Sometimes the hardest part can be trying to maneuver through the stairwell. It is always crowded, and occasionally you’ll be squished against someone or trying to squeeze your way out of the mess, just to get to class on time. Some new students may catch on quickly, but for others, it might take them a minute to find some of their classes. “With this bigger school I find it harder to find my next class,” said freshman Myers Mcanall.
Although the building is really big, there are some benefits to that. One of the benefits is that there are more students, and more diversity, which means many more clubs available to join. For some freshmen, there are too many options to choose from. “My biggest fear is time management.” said freshman Cristian Arrioles “I plan to participate in many clubs such as debate, swim, and environment club, but I have to learn to manage my time.”
When you are a freshman and just getting used to high school the work can pile up. Procrastination is not your friend. Saving work until the last minute will cause more stress and the worry that you might not have enough time to finish it on time and turn it in. “I am really worried about passing all of my classes.” said freshman Carmen Lall
Starting high school is hard on everyone. The stress of passing your classes, wanting to do so much, and the idea of getting lost in the building would make anyone anxious. No matter what your fears are freshman, you got this!
