The transition from middle school to high school can be a difficult journey for many students. Some of us have felt lost and some of us more confident. We have been getting used to a new environment and new people, and all of our experiences have been quite different.

When asked how her experience at Prairie Ridge has been so far, freshman Katie Svehla said, “it has been awesome! I have met many new people and have made many good friends.”

Many of us have had our share of difficulties. In fact, freshman Nicolette Schlup said, “the beginning of the year has been a bit hard because of the new surroundings and my cluelessness. I didn’t know where to go or what to say. I will admit I was scared, but now, not only 2 months in to the school year, I feel a lot more confident and I’m having a great time as well.”

Even though freshman year may seem very busy, it is important for us to stay involved. “I only did one extracurricular activity freshman year,” said senior Tyler Nikolich, “And I wish I would have done more.” So whether it is the musical, football, or even newspaper, remember to stay involved, because you may regret it once you too are an upperclassman.

Since we freshmen have only been at Prairie Ridge for such a short amount of time, some may think we haven’t learned much. But that is not the case. We have found the differences between PR and our prior middle schools, we have navigated the hallways and homework, and we have started to ease many of our fears about high school.

One of the best ways to cope with the anxiety related to the transition to high school is to prioritize and be practical.  Freshman Megan Anderson gives this advice to her fellow freshmen: “make sure to know your schedule.”

As freshmen we still have a long way to go, but we have made it this far, and learned a lot along the way. As we continue along our journey in high school, I am sure we will have a great time.