The McNicholas Milestone

This school year brings some concerns due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. One of the hardest things for new freshman is transitioning from middle school to a new high school. These uncertain times have brought different obstacles for all students, and juniors have some advice for freshmen and how they can navigate through their new high school life.

Junior Abby Segrist said, “During my freshman year the seniors said these years go by fast, and to enjoy every minute of your time- that you don’t realize until it’s over how quickly it went by.” Segrist explained how they (the seniors) were absolutely correct, and wishes she had done more over the years.

Playing sports and joining extracurricular activities are easy ways to get involved and make the transition from middle school to high school easier. While they allow for a fun way to get involved it also provides an easy way to be around classmates.

“Playing soccer made the transition from a smaller school to a larger school easier. Not knowing many people, this was a way to get to know the girls in [my] grade and play a sport I love” Segrist added.

Sporting events and being able to be in the student section is also a big opportunity for students to connect with others, and with Covid-19, student sections don’t exist. Junior Mara Jones said, “Being in the classroom and just working on projects and other assignments helped [me] talk to people that I didn’t know before. It’s really nice because we are around these people every day.”

Taking different electives is something else that has made the experience enjoyable. “I recommend freshmen take video editing. Even if it is not something that you think you will like. I really recommend it. It is a fun way to learn different skills, and we get free range of what we want to make videos on,” Segrist added.

Dealing with the stress of the new year can be hard. All said to stay calm, try not to procrastinate, and to not be afraid to ask others for help. The juniors who replied all said that being able to ask teachers and counselors for help is very important because it helps to lower stress.

Jones added, “The most important piece of advice that I can give is to just always be yourself. Don’t be afraid to be who you are, and to join classes and activities even if your friends aren’t doing them.