As 8th grade year came to an end on May 31st of 2023, most 8th graders were feeling the pressure of starting freshman year. Most were worried about if they would get lost, or if they would make new friends. Now that we’re over a month into this new school year, how are freshmen feeling? Do they miss middle school? Do they prefer high school or middle school? Would they change something about middle school or high school?

Your middle school years and your high school years obviously won’t be exactly the same. Some freshmen miss some things about their middle school days. “One thing I miss about middle school is how there were lots of opportunities such as sports and social events. I remember when we did an event for Halloween where everyone could get dressed, It was fun and positive!” said freshman Kimberly Miranda.

Going into a new school year, your feelings about certain classes might change. Whether that is a positive feeling or a negative feeling. Some students prefer the way certain classes are in high school compared to middle school.  “A class I didn’t enjoy in middle school was science, 100%. Honestly, for me, it was the teacher. This year I have a way more effective teacher who’s really nice,” said freshman Nevaeh Ball.

Each grade and school might have things that you might want to change. It could be changes to the school itself, or maybe the way some students act. Some freshmen definitely have some things that they don’t miss about middle school. “About the school? The way students acted, maybe. The way we treated each other was not good, or respectful. About myself? My outlook on it could have been better,” said freshman Michelle McDonell.

Some freshmen prefer the way certain things are done in high school rather than the way they were done in middle school. An example of this could be lunch. “Lunch at Osbourn is better than lunch at Metz. At Osbourn, they have more choices and different foods from different cultures. Metz never had such things as the spicy chicken sandwich, which is a bummer. It’s really good,” said freshman Kamila Ulloa.

Middle school can be rough for certain people because of different reasons. This could lead to them disliking middle school entirely. “I didn’t really like middle school because I feel like those years weren’t my best years. I feel like middle school was rough for me because of some of the people around me,” said freshman Cindy Hernandez.

Although freshmen haven’t been in high school for long, they can certainly notice the differences between middle school and high school that make them prefer high school over middle school. “I prefer the way high school is structured. A lot of middle schools aren’t really as functional. And in my opinion, high school is just easier. Also, I feel like the high school years are our prime years,” said Ball.

Middle school and high school definitely have different atmospheres. Whether that is the people or the school itself, the atmosphere of a school can be an important part of your preference for certain school years. “Yes I like the atmosphere at Osbourn, It’s much more mellow than Metz. Osbourn has this strange camaraderie that I love,” said McDonell.