WOODBURY – It seems this year has passed in the blink of an eye, the school year is at its end, and finals are closing in. Throughout this year, there have been many ups and downs, overcoming challenges, and finding new ways of happiness in your daily life.
Freshman this year have nearly finished their first year at Nonnewaug and share their passed lessons learned and memories made.
“The best thing is probably making a lot of new friends, and then doing all of my new sports because I met a lot of different people,” said Jazzy DelPrincipe, a freshman and ag student. “I got close with a few new friends, too.”
All of us over this time have had to deal with the new changes coming up from middle schools all around, but we have come a long way since the first day we came through the NHS doors.
“I was just afraid that I wasn’t going to know anybody,” said Chloe Whipple, NHS freshman, student-athlete, and ag student. “Everybody was pretty nice in the beginning of the year and I was able to make relationships really quickly. I really liked some of the people that I was able to meet and create a relationship with.”
The feeling of walking through the doors into a new environment without anyone to meet in the halls that first day might scare some of the upcoming students next year, but putting yourself into the scene of students will bring you closer to everyone.
Now obviously the whole year was not always sunshine and smiles, I had to go through a range of headaches throughout the entire year. Everyone does, so if while walking through the halls a feeling of not being ready for what’s to come sets in, just don’t give up.
“Don’t try to force your personality, just be who you are, stay genuine because you’re going to meet a bunch of new people,” said Noemi Aguilar-Cortes, another ag freshman. Ag students come into NHS from different districts, walking into a whole group of students they’ve never met before.
People come and go, hanging on to other people who aren’t doing the same won’t get you where you want to be.
“The right people will stay with you, so you don’t have to try and be someone else just to make more friends,” said Megan Hartery, class of 28’.
Focusing on your work, sticking around the right people for you, keeping boundaries strong, and setting goals for the year, will keep you motivated and content throughout the school day. And let’s be honest, the academic jump from 8th to 9th grade isn’t an easy one to navigate.
“Last year in eighth grade, everything was pretty easy to me, so in all the topics and classes I didn’t study for any tests,” said Whipple. “But this year, I needed to learn new studying techniques so I would say learn how to study.”
Understanding the increased rigors of high school and moving forward is going to be something everyone must confront, and it might be something for next year’s freshman to get used to, but learning and growing from eighth grade is what comes with moving on.
As this year comes and goes, the struggles and successes will always be something to remember.
“I think that they should just look forward to experiencing their freshman year,” said Sophia Gorton, an agriscience freshman from Beacon Falls. “It goes by really fast and it’s not something you should take for granted.”
This is an opinion piece written by Chief Advocate Freshman Rowan Boisseau
