WOODBURY – Starting high school can be a challenging time for most people. Whether it’s trying to find classes or make new friends, it’s important to remember everyone adapts at their own pace. At Nonnewaug High School, the class of 2029 is starting to accept the new changes.

“It wasn’t hard making new friends or fitting in because of volleyball and other summer sports,” said freshman Rileigh Abed.

Doing a summer sport can help students transition from Middle School to High School, this can also bring students out of their shell.

“I am an introverted person,” said freshman, Avah Charles. “I think this is because I’m shy until I get to know people. During middle school, my friend group wasn’t a huge group of people, but it also wasn’t small. Ever since coming to NHS, it has expanded my friend group and I have made a lot more friends.”

This can be a difference from middle school for most students because the majority of students are used to staying in their small circle of friends. Abed said, “The hardest challenge was the block days for me. It was hard to adapt to them, and it was very different from middle school.”

At NHS, all of the school days don’t have the same schedule. On Mondays, students go to all of their classes, on Tuesday and Thursdays students see the four odd number classes and on Wednesday and Friday students see the 4 even number classes.

The block days at NHS are a recurring problem for freshmen and it takes time for students to adapt and adjust.

Even after getting used to the schedule and finding new friends, freshmen at NHS also experienced the problem of the new challenging school work.

”The hardest change for me was the class work,” said Charles. “It’s hard adjusting to taking a lot of notes, especially coming in from 8th grade and the summer.”

Even though freshmen find classwork hard, the lunch schedule is something most students enjoy.

“The lunch waves aren’t bad,” Charles stated.

Even though some students don’t like the lunch waves, other students enjoy them and find that the best part of their day. Freshman Maiah Rodriguez said, “I like the lunch waves, I like how it’s less packed and I get to be with most of my friends.”

Although most people might have mixed opinions about the lunch waves, entering the NHS cafeteria with familiar faces can make this big change less nerve wracking or more exciting.

Over time, freshmen will get used to the difference between middle school and high school, and everything will become easier. Whether it’s making new friends, finding classes, or balancing the school work.