The anxiety felt while driving up to a new school. Knowing high school is bigger than your middle school and filled with all new people and new experiences. The rush of kids when the bell rings and the numbers flying as while speeding through the hall with the line of traffic. It can all be a little overwhelming in the life of a freshman.
For many ninth grade students, walking into their first year of high school can be intimidating since they know little about what high school will bring. Some freshmen may be prepared for school and believe it’s an exciting and new environment, while others end up late to classes, stressed out or overwhelmed.
“Once I knew where my classes were and having my seat at lunch, it was easy. I think it’s been great so far,” said freshman Ramyab Delbaky.
Although some students think Steinbrenner is too strict, others believe it allows for more freedom than their old schools when it comes to things like cell phones, lunch time rules and dress code. With less strict rules, freshmen have found it easier to adjust to the campus.
“You get a lot more freedom, there are more responsibilities and the rules are fair,” said freshman Samantha Ramos.
Every middle school has its own set of rules, but in general, most middle schools tend to be more strict than their nearby high schools. Rules restricting cell phone usage, where students can walk, what students are allowed to do, and many other things have given students a much needed breather in student’s daily lives.
“You have a lot more freedom in general here. Like at my old school, in the morning you would have to go to the gym and sit somewhere for each specific grade level. At Steinbrenner you can go wherever you want to,” said freshman Mia Pardo.
For the most part, freshman seem to have had a fairly easy time navigating through the halls, although some have been tardy or in the wrong class period. Luckily, all of the teachers are really welcoming and understanding if freshmen are late to class in the beginning of the year, which makes for a less stressful environment for the students.
“I’ve adjusted really well. On the first day I remembered most of my classes and understood some of them. The first day I went in the wrong class once because I was in the wrong hallway and the teacher was really nice about it,” said Ramos.
Most of the newcomers find Steinbrenner way more relaxed than their old schools. Students can walk around as they please in the morning and at lunch students can go around to other table and enjoy the outside area of Steinbrenner’s campus.
“There are definitely more freedoms at Steinbrenner. Like, last year you could only stay in one spot during lunch but here you can go outside and walk around,” said Pardo.
Many freshman are looking forward to certain clubs or classes that allow them to focus on what they want to do when they go off to college. With a wide variety of things to do, freshman often find Steinbrenner better than they’re old schools and want to be more involved with the community.
“I’m looking forward to joining JROTC and HOSA. They both sound like a lot of fun and would look really good on college applications,” said freshman Haven Marler.
Although many freshman originally feel nervous their first few days of school, after a few days or sometimes weeks, students are on a schedule and have got Steinbrenner down to a science.
Taylor Snow // Backpage Editor
