I’m in 8th grade and next year is my first year in high school…
How was your high school experience?
I’m a freshman… And it really does suck. After that, things get better, as your aren’t at the bottom anymore, but you have just got to find some real close friends and get though the first year.
Other than that, EVERYTHING else is better. Just be ready to lose your innocence, if you have any left.
Good luck!
I actually typed out a giant block of text explaining how much I enjoyed high school, but instead I’ve decided to just summarize it.
Im currently a Sophomore. Because of your classes you’ll hang around people with similar interests and goals and you can connect with them more than the general classes of middle school. People have grown to be better, nicer, and more mature people. You’ll find many new people in high school. Whether its someone you share a ton of common interests with or just a friend that’ll help you get through the class you’re in together, there’s a lot of people out there that you can bond with.
There’s a lot more freedom you have in high school. You can take classes you enjoy and would be useful later. I really recommend taking a class you would enjoy over one that more of your friends are in, just so you can enjoy your high school experience more and you’ll probably find new friends too.
Through the hardships you face you learn more about yourself and strive to become a better person from past experiences. There are many ups and downs but overall the last 2 years have been the best ones of my life. High School is a wild ride, but you’ll really enjoy self so buckle up.
I didn’t mind being a freshman. I was really scared of high school but ended up enjoying it a lot. Not enjoying college as much. 
Join a bunch of things to find what you like, work hard, don’t stress too much. 
Make sure you put yourself where you want socially. This is your last chance before college to do so
Hi! I’m a rising junior, so I’ve been in the high school scene for awhile now. High school is not scary like you see in the movies, with kids stuffing you in lockers or tripping you in the hallways. High school is where you can join clubs based on your passions, choose classes that you feel you would like, and you will make so many more friends. High school is a great experience. My freshman class knew a lot of the sophomores and juniors going in, so you have people watching over your back, trust me. You can take so many different classes; AP, IB, etc, which will really help you when you graduate. Go into HS with an open mind. First days are always tough, but you’ll soon come to love not being a middle schooler anymore. HS is the time where you grow and decide where you’re at in your life. You’ll enjoy every minute of it and these 4 years will fly by, so take everything in stride. I graduate in less than 2 years, and that is so upsetting! I feel like I was just a 9th grader, walking into my school. You’ll become part of a family and you’ll really look back and say: “Those 4 years were the best.” Best of luck to you! And DO NOT joke around when it comes to academics; I’ve seen too many fellow classmates fall behind because they did not care enough. Please, please, please pay attention to your schoolwork and aim high, it will truly pay off in the end!
I’m a rising junior. One huge thing I regret not doing during the first two years of high school is being more social and active. I wish I had signed up for more clubs, gone to school dances, introduced myself to new students. I stayed in my little shell because I was more comfortable in it, but I saw others have so much fun and enjoy their high school years. Don’t be afraid to do what you want just because someone will think badly of you or it won’t help boost your college apps. Enjoy these four years.
Class of 2K16. :)>-
I agree, after freshman year things can change alot. You aren’t the youngest anymore and if you didn’t lose friends from middle school after 9th grade, you have a better chance of remaining friends…if the stress of junior year doesn’t drive you guys away. When senior year comes you’ll either be excited, reminisce about high school or a mix of both (me!) You’ll feel proud of what you accomplished or wish you did more.
If your high school is anything like mine, here’s some things you can expect:
•People making out in the hallways between classes
•Having few/no classes with your closest/best friends
•Learn to make new friends- FAST. You don’t want to be the one loner who does all his/her work by him or herself.
•Having an easier teacher (compared to your friends)
•Having a difficult teacher (compared to your friends)
• Have teachers expect you get from your previous class (which is 10 miles away) to their class in 6 minutes or less (passing times may vary)
I could write a novel but that’s the general things.
Remember, high school can be the best or worst 4 years of your life. Make it great
Hey! Rising sophomore here ('18 is great )
Expect a lot more freedom than middle school. People care less about what other people are doing than in middle school (at least in my experience). Upperclassmen won’t be mean to you on the first day, and they definitely do not haze any freshmen. Whatever you do, do NOT stop walking in the middle of the hallway to talk to a friend. I cannot stress this enough. Drugs and alcohol will be mentioned and parties will be talked about, but if you’re in upper level classes (Honors/AP) it’s not really mentioned about as much. Friend groups will change! You might not have all the classes as your friends; you might not even have lunch together. But that’s okay.
First impressions are really important! Make sure you give your teachers a good one of you. Please don’t act like an idiot just to look “cool”. Join clubs and even a sports team if you want to! Clubs are a great way to make friends, especially upperclassmen who you wouldn’t know otherwise. I wouldn’t have known as many people as I did if I didn’t participate in my school’s extracurriculars. I suggest trying a lot of clubs in your freshman year; once you find the ones you really are passionate about, cut down on the clubs that you’re a part of and focus on a select few in sophomore year and beyond.
I don’t think I have to say this since we’re all on CC for a reason, but don’t get lazy and slack off in freshman year. Your grades do count, and they do affect your overall GPA. Also don’t underestimate the difficulty of transitioning from middle school to high school. DON’T PROCRASTINATE. (easier said than done) Learn time management; it’s a skill you’ll wish you had learned when you’re up at 2:00 AM writing that history paper you should’ve started 2 weeks ago (speaking from personal experience).
Not to be a downer here, but don’t think that the moment you walk through those doors your life will be changed forever just because you’re a high schooler now. To reiterate what others on this thread already said; high school might exceed your expectations or disappoint you in many ways. Regardless, it’s what you make it to be. If you don’t try to make a good experience for yourself, chances are, you won’t have one. Keep an open and positive mindset.
Good luck!
The only year I liked was freshman year. HS sucks
I’m rising sophomore also and I like freshman year a LOT more than middle school. The work gets more challenging but also more interesting. Social groups do go change up a big so expect that. I don’t know if it is just my high school or what, but all the upperclassmen were in general very nice, so don’t be scared!
Sophomore was MUCH better than Freshman year. Freshman year was absolutely terrible. I learned nothing because they babied us in class, even though all my classes were honors. Sophomore year was when it got more challenging but still. Junior year should be much better (:
I’m a rising senior. I too thought that freshman year was a lot better than middle school. It depends on the classes that you are going to take, but freshman year was definitely the easiest for me. I didn’t find the transition from middle school to high school to be anything bad. Some of the friendships that you had in middle school might change- high school is a time of change and development for everyone. Make sure to stay on top of all of your work (do not procrastinate!!), and you’ll be fine. There is a lot less hand-holding in high school than middle school. Teachers won’t be (as) sympathetic if you forget your homework or don’t study for a test. I’d also suggest joining different clubs and activities. There are so many opportunities in high school, and some of your new best friends can come from there! As long as you’re nice to others (and don’t beg for attention from upperclassmen), high school won’t be bad. Enjoy freshman year while you can! High school can be very stressful at times- time management is everything. Good luck!
Freshman year is when friend groups from middle school break apart and people end up becoming friends with the people they’re friends with for the rest of HS. Make friends freshman year, after that, all the friend groups solidify.
It’s funny, I only hang out with one friend from middle school. Everyone else I became friends with freshman year. (Rising Senior)
Edit: Freshman year was ok, and I increasingly enjoyed HS as the years passed.
I am a rising Sophomore in high school. So far it has been a really good experience. Here are a few of my key points:
-Be sure to become active in clubs or activities. If you join a club or activity you are passionate about, then there will be other students who are like you!
-Don’t be afraid to branch out socially. I had this group of 4 friends I was best friends with in MS. Come HS tho, I was forced to realize they were not right for me
-Find an organizational method that works for YOU. This is CRUCIAL to being successful. In MS, I breezed thru classes no problem, with straight A’s. HS was a lot different. I took all honors classes as a Freshmen (no option for AP as freshmen). I realized it was a whole lot different. In MS the homework was really easy. but in HS you have a lot in each class, all due at the same time at some points. Teachers also don’t hunt you down to collect papers or assignments from when you’re absent.
-Go in for extra help if you don’t get a concept. I got good grades freshmen year (95, unweighted), and I went in for extra help before almost every test or quiz in Biology or Geometry.
-Make someone of yourself. Don’t slack off or be un-involved. Be the best you that you can be.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a PM =)
I actually stayed friends with many of my middle school friends (they all joined marching band too), and I added new friends each year. If you have an extra curricular like band, where there is a lot of inter-grade interaction – or if you join new things throughout your HS career – there’s no reason why you should be stuck with one group forever!