The first day of school is often filled with excitement: reconnecting with old friends, seeing some of your favorite teachers and preparing for the year. But for many freshmen, PMHS is not a place filled with memories, but instead a frightening new adventure. Instead of nostalgia, they face a maze of hallways and unfamiliar faces. The freshmen this year have only just begun their journey through high school, and while confused, some are ready to join the Falcon family.
Many freshmen underestimate the quick start of the school year. According to Annabelle Couch, she “definitely didn’t expect to get homework on the first day.” The demanding workload of high school was a wake-up call for many freshmen. While workload management is a new skill freshmen have to refine, many PMHS teachers will be there for support. However, one thing teachers can’t prevent is first-day jitters. “I was kind of scared at first,” said Shelby Tadlock, “and like, I thought everybody would be like staring at me, but it’s really not. Everybody’s just minding their own business, and it’s really chill.” Despite their nerves, many are already beginning to see that high school might not be as intimidating as they thought.
In the first few days, one of the few things high schoolers can count on is the many freshmen wandering the hallways trying desperately to beat the five-minute clock. “I got lost, and we kept walking in the same circle a bunch of times,” said Adilynn Crouch when talking about her first day. The hallways can often be a jungle, packed with upperclassmen ready to push through the frenzied masses, but with time, the hallways will become second nature.
Another challenge freshmen face is the busy stairways. The quick-paced ups and downs of the rushed students are bound to lead to inevitable mishaps. One, much like Eva Vance, who said, “I went and fell down the stairs,” a normal occurrence among high schoolers. When asked, Quinn Barton said, “I tried to go up the main stairs, and there were people there just sitting there, kissing.” Although it’s shocking to the newcomers, situations like these are common to upperclassmen.
As the freshmen embark on this new journey through high school, the PMHS counseling department is eager to help. According to freshman counselor Machy Magdalinos, the new freshmen have nothing to fear. In the past twelve years, Magdalinos has worked with three previous freshmen classes and urges this class to take advantage of the fresh start. “Get involved, connect with new people and if there is any drama from the past or the middle school, just leave it there. Move on and take advantage of this new start,” said Magdalinos. To support the transition, the counseling office tries to work with new students to help them feel comfortable with the school. Magdalinos said, “Try to be kind to each other, and the transition into high school will become that much more seamless.” The start of high school may be daunting, but with the help of staff like Madalinos, freshmen are reminded they don’t have to face it alone.
