Moving on from middle school is an adjustment for everyone, but when the last time you were actually in school was 7th grade, it can be an even bigger step.

With the first semester over, Jonathan Protus (9) said it was much easier to adjust to high school than people described it to him.

Protus said, “You get used to high school a lot faster than you think you would; you also learn your path to your classes very easily.”

He explained that his work load also hasn’t been as difficult as people described it to be.

Anji Shlimon (9) agreed with Protus and also enjoys how different her class load has been transitioning into high school. She enjoys how spread out her homework has been, which is a lot different than her middle school experience.

“I thought it would be more homework because it’s high school, but if you do it in class, you can get it done,” said Shlimon.

“High school is a lot different than middle school because you’re more independent and rely on yourself,” she added.

TyNia Henry (9) was also surprised by the class load that she experienced during the first semester.

“AP tests and classes are a lot, which was very shocking after the first test I’ve taken in an AP class,” said Henry.

Both Henry and Shlimon explained how they enjoy being back in school a lot more than they liked being online.

Shlimon said, “It’s a lot easier to pay attention in class and ask questions in class.”

Online, students lack social interaction, but Shlimon, Henry and Protus said that they enjoy seeing their friends on a daily basis.

Along with Shlimon, Protus agreed that having social interaction has helped him connect with a lot of people, which was very hard to do virtually. They both enjoy seeing a variety of people in the hallways across all four grade levels.

Henry said she also enjoys the variety of different people you get to meet in high school. She said she is happy to be back and finally have interaction with her classmates.

“I’ve definitely become closer with a lot of people meeting them in person, rather than just typing through a chat,” said Henry.

She also said the social aspect of high school has made her look forward to coming to school every day, and the clubs give her something to look forward to after school, too.

Protus said he is also pleased with the after school activities and really enjoys going to his choir class and concerts. He said having a balance between things you have to do and things you can do really brightens up his day.

“[Extra curriculars] give you a break from mandatory school learning because that’s not as fun as what you want to do and what you enjoy,” said Protus.

Along with after school activities, Henry was pleasantly surprised by the student body’s participation in homecoming week and how excited everyone was for color wars and the football game.

“People are a lot more inclusive in high school, and it is a lot easier to make friends,” said Henry.