What Are Some of Your Freshman Fears?

Sura Kiasatpour • November 4, 2024

“Making new friends”

Making new friends is always a scary experience, no matter the circumstances, especially when coming into Peninsula with so many new people around you. It is easy to overthink before trying to branch out, so try not to let yourself get consumed by anxiety and instead talk to the people around you. Don’t confine yourself to your designated friend group that you came in with from middle school, since you will meet a variety of people in your classes that will make school so much more fun. Making new friends will also occur naturally, and it will happen whether you try to or not, as certain teachers randomize members in group assignments or labs, and your middle school friends will not always be in your classes.

“Final exams”

The thought of finals week was definitely daunting when I was a freshman. A couple of my middle school teachers had midterms and finals to prepare us, but honestly, those were more nerve-wracking than high school finals. You will come to realize that not all of your classes will have a final exam, and some teachers may just treat it as either a typical unit test or a project. In my three years, I have not had a single semester where all my classes have had finals. Finals are definitely manageable, and as long as you make yourself a good study schedule prioritizing which classes need the most reviewing, it should not be a super stressful time. My main advice would be to start studying as early as you can so you do not have to cram. Rarely will your grade depend solely on the final — as long as you establish a stable grade throughout the semester, a perfect test score is not needed. Once all your finals are finished, it will feel so satisfying as all the weight is lifted off your shoulders.

“Not knowing how to balance out all my activities (sports, social life, school work)”

Finding the perfect balance between maintaining your schoolwork, social life and sports is definitely a struggle. You may go your entire freshman year without finding the sweet spot where you still have a social life and your grades reach their full potential. Eventually, making those mistakes of being out with friends when you know you should probably be studying will help you learn your lesson and find a balance that is right for you. My freshman year, I went to a Justin Bieber concert the day before a big history test. Despite my valiant efforts to study in the car, I completely failed the test. The point being, bombing a test or two from these trials and errors won’t kill you; I still managed to get a solid A in the class. Overcoming the fear of missing out will be difficult at first when making those sacrifices to sit out on some social events, but your grades will thank you in the long run. Nevertheless, don’t be afraid to live a little; go to the football games and dances and experience your first year to the fullest.

“The huge campus and so many students!”

Coming from middle school, the Peninsula campus will look giant and scary. But within just a few weeks, you will be used to its size and not think much of it. Having classes that are far apart will always be irritating, but it will become such a routine experience that you will not even think twice about your treks from first to second period a couple months into school. I actually enjoyed the classes that were farthest from each other the most, since it is easy to find a friend walking in the same direction, and walking is more fun than getting to class way before the bell rings. The large campus is definitely something to appreciate rather than something to fear since there is more room for resources, niche programs and fun events to be held.