High School – Scared or Stoked?

I look around the chaos of middle school and think to myself, “When will I get out of here?!” But then I flash forward and think about the big open hallways of high school, the crazy crowds, harder classes, and credits that count! With one semester to go, I’ve been thinking a lot about high school. I grew up watching Disney Channel movies, wishing I was in high school and now, it’s almost time. We only have 4 more months of middle school before we leave, so I interviewed some classmates to get their input on high school. They wished to be anonymous. 

Are you prepared?

I got mixed responses. From the 8th grade perspective, the majority think they’re ready. But, when I talked to actual high school students and adults, they agreed amongst each other and said, “I thought I was.” We never really know what’s to come in those 4 years. We’ll be such different people than we are now. 

What high school are you going to? 

I asked pretty simple questions like “What high school are you attending?”, “Are you excited or nervous?”, and “What are you looking forward to?”. Most of my friends are going to Mountlake Terrace High School. Something I learned from these interviews is how lucky I am to be going to the same school as my friends, and how I’m lucky the school is in a familiar area. I could be a mess if I had to switch schools and start over.

Are you nervous about the harder classes?

It was really interesting some of the classes future high school students will be taking; jumping levels in math, reading, and writing harder subjects, or even continuing to take average classes. I think this is what most 8th graders fear. Harder classes. I asked a few classmates and the most common answer was, “harder classes”. 

In-person or remote? 

Covid has affected our school life, grades, and friendships. Even though we were fortunate enough to return to Brier Terrace Middle, some decided to stay home, like me. I spent last semester online, and while I was talking to my friends about coming back, they brought up a question. “In-person or online classes?” I know that personally, I would choose in-person, much like the people I’ve interviewed. What would you choose?

What are you excited about?

On the bright side, there are lots of new, exciting things coming up! New people, new teachers, new electives, and a new school. One student I interviewed is excited to meet new people and get to know different teachers. I asked an adult what they were excited for going into high school, and they said, “gymnastics. ” I’m excited to take new classes and have new experiences!

What do you know about high school so far?

Like I said previously, I grew up watching movies about teens in high school. I also have 2 older siblings that went to high school. Over the course of my life, I have formed a certain look and expectation for high school. Students said that they had gotten advice from older people in their lives, movies, and friends. What do you think high school is like?

Interview with high schooler, Tamyah Dabney

“Was high school what you expected when you were in 8th grade?”

“Personally, for me, high school was somewhat like what I expected. I feel like when going into high school, a lot of the bad parts are what people focus on: stress, nerves, drama, and anxiety. Yes, these play a part, but there is so much more. You make the best friendships, you learn so much about yourself, and the people you surround yourself with. It can be hard because you’re still trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do with yourself, but you make so many memories so you’ll never forget. I think high school is one of the best experiences in your life, but at the same time it’s really challenging – but that’s why you grow so much – you learn.”

“What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?”

“Some advice I would give incoming freshmen is to be yourself and don’t let people tell you who to be, who not to be. Never forget your goals. Live your life, but know in the end where you wanna be when you grow up. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! It’s very important to be able to speak up. Lastly, get involved! Do a sport, join a club, anything! Getting involved makes everything so much better. You make so many new friends and it really can help with all the stress of school.”

Even though 4 months goes by quickly, we still have time to enjoy of final months as 8th graders. This past year and a half and the upcoming months are a period of time we’ll look back on for the rest of our lives, have fun with it.