The first day of high school can often feel overwhelming, with new classes, unfamiliar faces and the pressure to figure out where you belong.

At the start of the school year, two freshmen at Middle College High School (MCHS) said they worried about making new friends, keeping up with homework and adjusting to a new environment. Now, with the year almost over, they say they feel more comfortable and excited as they prepare for sophomore year.

Freshman year at MCHS brings new academic demands and social pressure. For Noah Perez and Alejandro Linares, the transition from middle school included both challenges and growth as they adjusted to high school life.

Perez said his biggest concern at the start of the year was finding people to connect with.

“I was most nervous about who I was going to sit with or talk to during lunch,” Perez said.

That perception changed after Perez started playing volleyball and met a group of students on campus.

“I first met a group of people in the Village, and they invited me to play volleyball with them,” Perez said. “They adopted me.”

Linares said he entered high school expecting it to be extremely difficult. Instead, he said the year turned out to be challenging, but also enjoyable.

“In eighth grade, I thought high school would be one of the most difficult things in life,” Linares said. “Although it is difficult, it’s really fun.”

Both students said academics were one of the hardest parts of adjusting to MCHS because high school required them to become more organized and responsible with their schoolwork. Linares said the biggest challenge was learning how to manage time, while Perez said he had to become more disciplined after school.

“The hardest adjustment was learning how to manage my time better,” Linares said.

Perez stated that this often meant setting aside time to complete assignments as soon as he got home.

“I had to come home and just do work so I could keep my academics up,” Perez said.

As the year continued, both students said they became more comfortable socially.

Linares explained how it became easier to meet people and build friendships, while Perez’s experience with volleyball helped him feel more connected to the school.

“It’s been easier to talk to people and make new friends,” Linares said.

Now, with only a few weeks left in the school year, both students said it feels different to no longer be the newest students on campus.

“It feels weird because time has been going by fast for some reason,” Perez said.

While Perez said the year seemed to pass quickly, Linares said he is already looking ahead to the opportunities that sophomore year will bring.

“I feel excited for next year,” Linares said.

Looking back, both students said they would give themselves advice back then. Perez said he would tell himself to connect to the first group of people he met, while Linares said he would focus on time management and using the resources available to him.

“I would tell myself to manage time better and figure out how to use every resource I have available,” Linares said.

As they prepare for sophomore year, Perez said he is looking forward to electives like yearbook and advanced film, while Linares said he is excited to meet incoming freshmen and continue moving forward in his education.

Although both students began the year unsure of what high school would be like, they said the experience helped them build friendships, improve study habits and feel more prepared for what comes next. Their experiences show that while freshman year can feel overwhelming at first, it can also help incoming students gain the confidence and skills they need to succeed in high school.