To begin, I wanted genuine, unpolished answers about the first impressions of high school and what students expected it to be like. To achieve this, I decided to interview a freshman named Aliah Nicole Gonzales. When I asked her, “Before starting high school, what did you expect it to be like?” Aliah responded, “Honestly, I didn’t expect people here to have their own groups. I thought many people would just be regular boring people, and I didn’t think there would be bullies, but there are. I also thought there would be more people with the same interests as me; that’s what I mostly cared about.” Aliah envisioned high school as having less interesting people and was surprised to find that students had formed various social groups.
When I asked, “What has surprised you the most since being here?” Aliah said, “Something that has surprised me the most is how easy it has been to make friends, even with people who have different interests. I wasn’t really expecting that in high school.” Aliah’s expectations about making friends differed from her reality; she found it surprisingly easy to connect with others.
Next, I inquired about how high school compared to middle school and its expectations. I asked, “How does the workload compare to what you imagined?” Aliah replied, “I imagined there would be a lot of work, like homework and all that, but right now, as a freshman, I barely get any homework. If I do have assignments, I usually complete them at school instead of at home.”
When I asked, “Do you feel more pressure than you did in middle school? Why or why not?” Aliah said, “Yeah, I do feel more pressure because, in middle school, your grades didn’t really matter, but in high school, they do, due to how many credits you’ll earn. I have more weighing on me because in middle school, I didn’t take it seriously, but here in high school, I do. Otherwise, I won’t graduate.” It seems that Aliah feels increased pressure to perform well academically now that grades have real consequences for her future.
I also asked, “How has high school affected your stress, sleep, or energy?” Aliah responded, “Honestly, every morning I wake up at 6 or 7 a.m., but that’s mainly because I have a bus to catch. That kind of ruins my sleep because I usually need 8 to 9 hours to feel really energized. Waking up at that time mostly disrupts my rest.” She also expressed that she experiences stress from upcoming tests and worry about not passing her classes, saying, “I’m also worried that if I don’t pass my classes, I won’t graduate.” I agree with Aliah; many students can relate to the new stress of trying to pass their classes and the fear of not graduating high school.
Finally, after interviewing a freshman, I realized that many students expect high school to match their preconceived notions. However, it’s common for freshmen to have at least one misconception about high school. I’ve also noticed that many students form their expectations based on the influence of others. For instance, someone might tell an eighth-grader that high school will be terrible, and they would believe it. I believe people’s expectations of high school are often shaped by external influences rather than their own experiences.
