Anxiety and expectations surrounding freshman year of high school can be overwhelming. Most students have gotten lost in the A Building at some point where, oddly enough, the A-2 classroom is in the basement. Many students have mixed up the H Building and the G Building, and have felt the need to avoid seniors during lunch.
While some new Berkeley High School students find high school to be daunting and difficult to navigate, others find the challenges of a large school rewarding. Luka McGaraghan, a BHS freshman, explained that what he appreciates the most about high school is the freedom. “Off-campus lunch is great, I feel like there’s a lot of stuff that goes on downtown,” McGaraghan said. He noted that some of the activities and events that go on in downtown Berkeley can be a little intense at times, but generally enjoys being able to roam about.
McGaraghan observed a big difference in workload and homework style between middle and high school. At King Middle School, he found that the teachers gave more individualized attention to each student. “Here (at BHS), there are actual punishments for not doing your work. It feels freer, but you also have to put in a little more responsibility. You kind of have to pull yourself together and do it yourself,” McGaraghan said. This freedom, both on and off campus, is intimidating and motivating. His grades are one of the most important incentives for him to work hard in school, but he’s less worried about this year and more so about the years to come. “I think I’m more stressed about next year,” McGaraghan said, “Apparently it comes as a shock.”
For freshman Nayan Verma, the most surprising aspect of being launched into BHS so far has been the sheer size. He came from a smaller middle school and transitioning to a large high school has been an adjustment. Verma said he’s slightly more prepared for BHS because he has a sibling who is an upperclassman. “I already have an older brother at Berkeley High, so I’ve heard a lot about the teachers and the classes and all the fire alarms,” Verma said.
“The bigger workload makes me nervous, as well as the finals at the end of the year,” Verma said. He has never had to take a test resembling a final or midterm before, he explained, which makes him anxious. His goal at the start of the year was to meet as many new people as possible, which he found to be overwhelming, but ultimately rewarding. “Now that I’ve been here for a few weeks, I’ve made a lot of new friends,” Verma said.
“I thought Berkeley High was going to be a lot bigger and a lot scarier,” Verma said. He knows how many people attend BHS, “but the campus size actually contributes to the feeling that there’s a lot less people than there actually are.” While being a target on ‘Freshmen Friday’ was not much fun for Verma, he’s excited for his own senior year. “If I was the one doing that, throwing eggs or anything like that, I’m sure I would find it fun,” Verma said.
As an eighth grader at King Middle School, Jade Geurtsen is looking forward to being a freshman next year. She has already heard about high school and has her own thoughts and opinions. She is concerned about the changes in her schedule as a soccer player and whether she will have enough time for the electives she is interested in. Worries aside, Geurtsen is excited to meet new people and join clubs. “I feel like it’s a good community. The people are nice, and the teachers are good,” Geurtsen said.