There are fresh fish in the sea! New faces filled the hallways, ecstatic for the start of high school. Coming in, nerves were high, and the new freshman were anxious to be a part of this scholastic school. However, it was a surprise to most when the first day was not as intense as they had perceived.

“It was much worse before school started because you kept thinking ‘what is it going to be like?’ and you were so unsure,” Sonia Shrotiya ‘19 said. “But now that I am here I think it is a lot easier, but there is still more work.”

During the first week, freshman began familiarizing themselves with the school. New hallways, classes, and teachers made for lots of learning. However, with welcoming staff and upperclassmen, the adjustment was easy.

“I didn’t get lost so that was a surprise!” Khadeeja Shah ‘19 said. However, the structure of the school did not please everyone. Eli Blinchevsky ‘19 and Shrotriya both agreed that the hallways were much too narrow and too crowded to fit the flood of students during passing periods.  

Despite the narrow hallways, freshman found that Westwood has many great aspects.

“My favorite thing about being at this school is the really cool teachers!” Jordan Hannan ‘19 said. “They explain things really well and they push you to do well.”

Also, classes marked the first interaction between Grisham and Canyon Vista students. It was a positive environment that allowed for the beginning of new friendships.  

“There are more people, which means more people to talk to and become friends with,” Blinchevsky said.

Yet others found themselves with some familiar faces in their classes, and to some extent that proved to be a disappointment.

“I kind of wish Westwood was more diverse in terms of classes because I have the same people in many of them, and I wish I had the opportunity to meet new kids,”  Aarushi Machavarapu ‘19 said. Machavarapu also claimed that the biggest difference between middle school and high school is the overall environment. “The people here have more independence and are much closer to adulthood, so it’s really different,” Machavarapu said.

Different is an understatement, as the freshman will soon come to see. As the workload increases, we hope they don’t crack from the pressure! Just kidding- although Westwood may be more difficult than middle school, the freshman are sure to make memories here that will last a lifetime. And remember fishies, when the going gets tough, just keep swimming!

Contributions made by Sanika Nayak