Freshman year is supposed to be one of the biggest years of your life because it is the stepping stone of maturity for future years to come. The class of 2025 has a very unique freshman year experience because of Covid-19. It seems like we went from seventh grade straight into high school.

My freshman year was a little tense at first, but I grew as a person and came out of my comfort zone. On my first day of high school, I was anxious and did not know what to do or where to go. I was really apprehensive about going to school on the first day, but thanks to ASB, they made me feel really comfortable and welcomed at RCHS.

When I entered first period, Art I, I was terrified. I had no idea where to sit, and since my last year of in-person school was seventh grade, I did not have many friends from middle and elementary school in my classes.

Lunch came around, and I did not know what to expect. I was not alone though. I luckily found one of my friends from middle school and ate with her and her friends.

As the days turned into weeks, school seemed to get better. I admit the first few weeks were a hassle, but I eventually got the hang of it.

Once December hit, I felt like a real freshman. I had a routine every day: get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and go to school. It was a constant rejoice every day knowing that I finally became a high school student. Sometimes it did hit me like, “Wow…. I’m really in high school.” I can admit not every day was the best and it was hard but I got through it.

As soon as February arrived, my freshman year was kind of a disaster. I missed a lot of school, and it was difficult to catch up, but I tried really hard to get back on track. My high school experience was way easier in the second semester than it was in the first semester. As the days went by, it was getting harder and harder, but I tried not to procrastinate and to get most of my work done on time.

Now that I realize it, middle school is way different than high school. Especially when compared to this year. I didn’t really get to experience middle school since I missed out on my whole eighth-grade year and coming back to in-person school as a middle schooler. High school for that matter, has really been hectic but I am getting used to it.

Aside from the stress of transitioning from seventh grade to high school, I realize that high school is more laid back than middle school.

Online school was fine. It was nice to wake up and realize that you didn’t have to get all ready because you were going to be in front of a computer screen. But, coming back to school in person and it being high school was a hard transition because I had to get back into the routine of getting up early, getting ready, and heading out of the house for seven hours.

Even though high school has its ups and downs, freshman year is a really significant experience, especially when it’s in person.