We hear lots of stories about high school whether good or bad people love to tell them. The problem with most things is you never know how to handle it until you go through it yourself, you hear lots of stories from family, teachers and others. The freshmen fear comes racing into your head as you walk into your first class. finding out what this year’s freshmen fear seemed to be was a variety of things from being behind on work  and getting lost in hallways on the way to class. 

  Anxiety is a common thing that many people experience from day to day. 9.1% of teens have social anxiety disorder and struggle with this consent fear that does not go away and affects their everyday activities. According to the apa “stress can become very unhealthy when it upsets your day-to-day functioning.” The idea of anxiety to many is an overwhelming topic or the pressure of stress really can affect how a person is feeling in the moment. “Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes…. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns.” 

   Most students regarding what grade they are in get stressed out when it comes to the work load or feel the pressure when it comes to falling behind. Freshmen have never experienced the type of work their new teachers will give them. They have no idea what to expect. Freshman Mike Coco explains 

” I really hate doing work so I was worried about the workload coming into high school “ The idea of getting behind so quickly can really ruin the motivation to do work at all if students feel like they will just get behind regardless.”  I was afraid of being lost when trying to find my classes…. The big upperclassmen scared me at first but now not so much” said Coco. “ I was afraid because I feel like if I do not get good grades then I can’t get into a good college for a better education,” said freshman Ben Cadieux.  

   While talking to Mrs. Wotton  about the growth of her students over the four years they are at Triton She explains “ The most common fears as they are beginning their highschool career are they are scared to be walking in the hallways and are seen walking in groups because they are afraid to walk alone….they can be scared of asking questions and advocate  for themselves in classes , they over all become  more self conscious”. Wotton has seen many students over seven years she has been working for Triton, Wotton explains that “ Most of the students have a huge transformation between Freshmen and Senior year, but most of the growth happens during their Junior year” 

   It’s now December  and do the freshmen still feel afraid? “ I got over my fears by figuring out what I had to do for my classes, how to get there and I made many new friends that helped me feel more comfortable, “ Coco said. “ My advice for incoming freshmen next year or to the current freshman who might be struggling is “If you’re not doing your work you need to get organized. It’s very important to keep on top of all your work and be a good role model for incoming freshman” says  Coco.