The Freshman Take
PWHS freshmen react to their first month in high school.
October 2015
Becca Porter '19
Last month, Tuesday September 1st, a stampede of freshman frantically rushed through the doors of Plymouth Whitemarsh, and they saw the school, which was filled with upperclassmen, for the very first time. Eyes grew wide with panic, palms became sweaty and book bags suddenly seemed like they were missing something. Everyone was either nervous or excited, and some were even both. Going from middle school to high school is a big transition. You have harder classes, a bigger school, and kids who can drive!
There are some perks to being a high schooler at Plymouth Whitemarsh! At first, the fact that we had to carry around all our stuff was terrifying! My book bag can get pretty heavy during the year because of the binders, and I really didn’t feel like breaking my back. However, once I got used to it, I realized it was very helpful, and I never forgot anything in my locker. Freshman Sophia Balasko says, “I like the idea of carrying my school bag around with me because I can just keep whatever I want in there and I can just take it out in class. Sometimes I eat a snack in class so it’s helpful to keep that around.” Also freshman Elizabeth Epstein says, “Having a book bag can hurt my shoulders sometimes but it’s great to not need to go to my locker if I forgot something.” I totally agree, Elizabeth!
Other perks about high school are having BYOD, or ‘bring your own device,’ and the school giving us more freedom. Everyone seems to love using their own laptop in class, being able to keep their phone on them and sometimes being allowed to use it in class. It goes into the freedom and trust the school and teachers give us. Sophia commented, “I love that PW has an anime club, and I can be more independent and not worry about what others have to say and how the teachers have more trust in you.” Good job, teachers! You must be doing something right! Like Sophia said, there are so many new clubs to join. There’s something for everyone, and even an anime club!
Overall, on the first day of school, people realized all the good things about high school. As freshman Katey Lee said, “I thought it was okay. Not that good but not that horrible.” When I asked people to think back to their first day of school the responses were not as happy as I thought they would be. Shireen Saidi comments, “I was thinking about how hard each of my classes would be.” When I asked people what they thought about PW now, I got a whole different reaction; most of which leaned towards the good side of the scale. There are many good and bad things about PW. There’s going to be ups and downs, days where everything will seem dark and gloomy, and days where the sun is shining bright. But no matter what, I think high school is going to be a time to remember.