There are many hints that mark the transition from summer to autumn—the ground becomes dotted with red and orange leaves, the temperature drops and stores fill with cinnamon-scented candles and Halloween decorations. For teenagers, the changing of seasons brings thoughts of the coming school year, with distinctly different anticipations awaiting each grade level.
For freshmen, the challenges are clear: entering high school means adjusting to an unfamiliar environment and navigating new halls and new friendships. Communications High School (CHS) gathers students from districts throughout Monmouth County, meaning freshmen often travel with few, if any, peers from their eighth-grade class.
“The most challenging part of entering freshman year was barely knowing anyone. It can be tricky making new friends,” sophomore Sophie Grodman of Sea Bright said. However, she still viewed the experience as a positive one.
“I got to meet new people I wouldn’t have met and since everyone didn’t know anyone, people were so friendly and open.”
Additionally, the transition to high school brings a shift in academic responsibility for students.
Sophomore Charlotte Mathias of Long Branch explained that CHS coursework was not what she was used to.
“The biggest difference from middle school to high school was the workload. I never had to do a lot of homework in middle school, and everything we learned was very simple to understand.” Mathias said. In the end, she saw value in the rigor. “I’m so grateful for my freshman year because I have learned so many studying skills and how to use my time effectively.”
Sandwiched between the world of freshman unfamiliarity and the daunting entrance to the college application process, sophomore year appears, on paper, to be the least stressful part of high school. This may be true, in the absence of one notable class.
“Academics were definitely the most difficult part of my sophomore year, specifically physics,” said junior Angela Ruiz of Wall.
Junior Honora Griffiths of Red Bank claims she is happy to leave her pursuit of understanding the nuances of mirrors and energy behind her.
“I am glad not to be taking physics ever again,” Griffiths said. “I would spend hours trying to understand the concepts and sometimes I never really understood them.”
Junior Helena Szep of Middletown, however, was able to look on the bright side.
“There’s no triumph like understanding a [physics] generator problem,,” Szep said. She explains that sophomore year does maintain some of the expected advantages. “Considering the size of our class, it’s hard not to be friends with everyone to some capacity. My favorite part of [sophomore] year was solidifying those friendships.”
Griffiths reflects further on this sentiment.
“You get to know your teachers, you find friends, so I felt a lot more comfortable,” she said.
The mention of entering junior year of high school can elicit a wary response. In 11th grade, students are expected to take the PSAT, SAT, ACT and for many, a driving test. In combination with an official introduction to the college and job search through junior seminar class, these elements can often be the recipe for anxiety.
“Junior year is the year that colleges look at the most, and we juniors know that, building up a lot of pressure on us to get involved, keep up our grades, get good SAT scores, all while maintaining normal social lives, learning how to drive, working—it feels kinda impossible to relax during junior year,” said senior and SGA President Phin Whedon of Wall Township.
But, as seems to be the trend, Whedon still found joy in the frenzy.
“Getting involved in extracurriculars like performing in the fall play, making movies for March Madness and planning school events on SGA were what made my junior year so fun,” he said. “I feel like it was simultaneously the best year and the worst year—the most overwhelming, but also the most exciting.”
Senior year, as the last year of high school, is spent building a bridge into the world of college and the further future. Students’ schedules are
more malleable, with three elective classes and a mentorship opportunity during one marking period, intending to help them focus on what they enjoy and envision themselves pursuing as a career. In doing so, it finally allows students a break from the building academic rigor of the past three years.
“In my senior year I’m looking forward to hopefully relaxing a bit more,” Whedon said. “I’m trying to not bite off more than I can chew this year so I can enjoy the rest of high school to the best of my abilities.”
