The movement of people around the hallways shakes the floor beneath the students. The laughter shared in classrooms and hallways echoes in the air. High school seniors are graduating and leaving but the freshmen, who are the upcoming sophomores, their journey is just starting.
Freshman year at MCHS could have been stressful for many students. They could have struggled, triumphed, and much more. Although, now that the school year is ending they have new worries to think about. The freshmen are being given their college classes for next year. Unlike their freshman year, they aren’t going to be taking classes that just clear their graduation requirement. Now, everyone is going to have classes that will help them in their career and educational path. Not only that, they will be taking college classes with the college students at Santa Ana College. Of course, this can bring up new feelings or emotions at the start of the year. It could make the freshman feel ready, with the experience they have with their two college classes already, or a bit nervous that the environments will be different. Additionally, they may feel nervous or worried about balancing their new college classes with their high school classes.
The freshmen are going into the new year but a flashback of all the struggles with either time management or assignments can make them nervous for the new transition. According to a blog, it states that it is necessary to manage time in a high school environment and this applies to our freshmen, as well. With normal work from high school classes, time management can be extremely important with the addition of college classes. Although others can have a sense of confidence having passed their college classes this freshman year.
Freshman Gustavo Martinez explains why he believes he won’t have much trouble balancing the new classes in sophomore year.
“I don’t think it’ll be that difficult now that I have experienced my first year and I’ve been doing good in all of my college classes,” Martinez said.
With that being said, Ricardo Anguiano, a teacher for the freshmen college and career readiness class, advises time management.
“Having a calendar or an agenda where they plan out what they’re going to be doing,” Anguiano said.
Not only that, the freshmen class is going to face new challenges with their new classes coming up. For instance, they will be having a world history class with teachers Edward Venezuela or Ricardo Anguiano, a higher form of math, and so on. They can feel a sense of panic, or again, worry because it’s new teachers and a new year.
Freshman Alyssa Ravelo shares her thoughts on what the new sophomore classes they will have next year will be.
“I think it is going to be a lot harder. I mean especially the teachers, I feel like they were easy on us because it’s our first year and it’s college classes, and high school, so we’re barely getting used to it. So, they gave us a lot of extensions but since we’re used to it now they’re going to be a lot more strict,” Ravelo said.
Martinez shares his thoughts on the struggles he may face with the new classes.
“Sophomore year is like almost gonna go into your junior year, which is your most important year, so I’m gonna have to start building up what I want to do,” Martinez said.
To continue, the freshman class had to choose which pathway they were going to pursue for the creation of their new Ed Plan. Ed plans are plans that take into account a student’s interests, career, and education path according to an article by Casetext.
Additionally, according to an article by Allison Peeler, having a clear pathway can open doors to, “successful degree attainment, professional mobility, and avoiding excess courses”. Although our freshmen already completed their first year of college classes they still feel scared or nervous about how their chosen pathway, which comes along with their new classes, may go.
Freshman, Alyssa Ravelo, shares her thoughts and feelings about her upcoming college class for her chosen pathway: medicine.
“Scared, especially going into the medical field. I feel like that’s a lot of pressure, knowing like human anatomy, all of that,” Ravelo said.
Gustavo Martinez, studying both psychology and medicine shares his feelings.
“Pretty stressful because, from what I read, a lot of psych students end up getting into depression because of what they’re studying so I’m a bit worried about that, and the fact I’m also a medical assistant,” Martinez said.
Overall, there can be a mixture of excitement, curiosity, and stress for the upcoming sophomore, currently still a freshman, class of 2027. They have worked on their time management for the first year, with kind teachers and professors, but not knowing what’s to come of their new classes next year can bring up a mixture of feelings.
Anguiano gives his encouragement to the current freshman class.
“I believe that the freshmen are ready to face sophomore year mainly because, once again, they have gone through this already,” Anguiano said.