As the new year begins and a new crop of Panthers find their way through the halls and into different clubs and classes, seniors are experiencing this all for the last time.
Because the transition from middle to high school presents changes and stresses for the newbies, upperclassmen are there to help them through it all.
There are expectations and warnings and excitement. The experience students have been told about for most of their lives has arrived, and with it, so have worries.
“Does it get easier?” freshman Bailey Koch said. “[Is it] easier to adjust to the environment and people around you?”
Because they’ve been there with the same nervous questions, some seniors look back and offer calming assurances.
“It gets easier,” senior Gabriel Pacheco said. “[Although the work gets harder in sophomore year], you have to try harder.”
Another issue freshman face is educational balance, especially with the rising pressures of classes. But, most of them are expecting the rigor.
“Academics are higher, so it will be more challenging,” freshman Kinsleigh Reed said.
Besides finding a balance between studying and club activities, freshman Rebecca Delgado was concerned about dealing with hard classes like in the IB program.
“During these, how do you deal with all of these stresses. like sports, and IB,” Delgado said.
Senior Leah Colon offered real life advice because she also serves as a Class of 2026 officer.
“I try to find a good balance between the two,” Colon said. “Whenever I have downtime, I would prioritize one, and then when I get home, I try to prioritize the other one.”
As a student athlete, junior Kemi Akintunde uses scheduling for balance.
“I make sure I get a good rest and then plan my day before,” she said. “There might be a few bumps here and there, but that’s okay because I always have a backup plan.”
