BRISTOL, Connecticut, U.S.A. — Going into high school can be exciting, scary, or just plain old confusing. You may be a person with such good grades that you’re just fearless and can’t wait for high school.
However if you’re like me, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Where in the world do I go from here?” I, myself, am kind of worried going into ninth grade because I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle high school.
First off, the place is huge and the people are, too. At least they’re huge compared to me.
You can’t expect to have too many friends because as a freshman you’re at the bottom of the social food chain. You come out of middle school the oldest group of kids there and going all the way back to square one feels like a strange experience.
To be honest I am hoping that I don’t open my mouth at the wrong time or do some thing of that nature, because I don’t want to get beaten up or embarrass myself beyond recovery.
One thing I am happy about is that the high school I am going to is practically in my backyard. If I need to get here for some kind of after school activity I can just ride my bike.
One other reason I am worried about high school is that it’s something that I’ll really have to take seriously. I’m not good at being serious.
As my father has repeatedly told me, when you’re in high school everything counts from day one.
I am hoping I can take high school seriously enough to maintain good grades, because if everything else goes and my grades are lousy (which won’t happen) I’m dead, or at least I’ll be as good as that once my parents find out. Specifically when my dad does.
The only other thing I’m worried about is that things will move too quickly for me in high school, and I’ll be left behind like a kid on a field trip with his class on the subway. I fear that if I blink, I’ll miss something important.
It is totally my decision, though, whether or not to stay organized and attentive in high school. I know this.
So I’m sure you can tell that I’m not delighted to go into a place where the people are bigger, stronger, and smarter than me, but it will hopefully turn out to be the most interesting and fun experience of my life.
I do believe, however, that it’s all up to me.
Franco Garzone is a Reporter for Youth Journalism International.
