Walking up the steps into the Bulldog Lobby, past the green doors and into the blue and white hallways where the bulldog statue sits, is now a familiar experience for freshmen, but for the seniors, it is something that they will have to say goodbye to. How can three years make such a difference for high school students? As seniors prepare for college, freshmen are just beginning their journey, joining clubs and trying out for school sports. While the school is the same, the lives between both grade levels remain so different.
“I wake up around 6:30 a.m. and I take a shower and go down to eat breakfast,” WCHS freshman Arjun Shah said. “Then, I take the bus to school. Once I am at school I go through my regular schedule, and when school is over I have wrestling practice. And after that on every Monday and Wednesday I have jujitsu. Then I come home and do my homework and eat dinner.”
While this type of schedule is common for many high school students, slight differences such as a senior’s ability to drive and park their car at school, versus a freshman’s dependence on the bus driver or their parents driving them to school, create a major distinction in lifestyles. With a license, seniors have much more freedom and control over their daily lives. It even allows many seniors to drive to their internships as part of their school day.
“On a typical school day, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and get to school around 7:15 a.m.,” WCHS senior Rehan Ahmed said. “I am in classes until 11:05 a.m., and after that I either have to go into the [internship] office or go home and complete my internship online. I usually work until about 4:00 p.m, and then I either log off or head home. I intern for a local investment group and it has taught me a lot about proper conduct in an office and how to dress professionally.”
Even after his school day and his work at his internship, Ahmed has to do chores like taking care of his car, cleaning dishes and preparing for the next day. Ahmed has developed this routine over the course of his time at high school, yet in a few months, his schedule will be completely altered.
“I am planning on going to college after I graduate,” Ahmed said. “This past summer, I worked on each of my college applications for about three weeks. I was usually working on a few applications at the same time, so I would spend those weeks juggling different essays, supplements and requirements. A lot of the time also went into revising and editing to make sure everything was well-written and personalized for each school.”
For Shah, this past summer was instead focused on gathering the materials he would need to start high school. Now, Shah will begin studying for his first AP exams and he has already picked out his classes for sophomore year.
“In terms of homework, I usually average about 30 minutes,” Shah said. “But in all honesty, my first year of high school has actually been really fun. I loved meeting new people from all kinds of different schools, not just Hoover and Cabin John. And I have started learning how to be more independent.”
Freshman year is just the start of the long journey of high school and learning how to balance friends, family, schoolwork, extracurriculars and more. The training wheels start to come off and it is time to start pedaling.
“Being a senior feels really different because you are way more confident and you understand how high school works,” Ahmed said. “Freshman year, everything felt new and overwhelming, but now it is like you know how to manage your time and what matters.”
Although prom and senior day are going to be some of the last memories for seniors, high school is a time that is hard to forget. Lifelong friends are made and students develop interests that turn into future career paths. High school is not just about learning, but building confidence and maturity.
“I would tell my freshman self to not stress so much about trying to be perfect or worrying what everyone thinks,” Ahmed said. “The biggest thing in high school is learning how to manage your time and stay consistent. I would also say to get involved earlier and ask for help when you need it. And honestly, just enjoy it more—because you do not realize how quickly it all goes until you are at the end.”
