To be honest, it’s kind of weird being back at school, being back to a place you have spent almost 3 months away from. You’re so used to only be alone at home, or only hang out with friends, that you aren’t used to seeing other people from school. Another thing that was daunting this year was junior year.

It’s so weird how all these years junior year was such a thing of the future, something we didn’t need to worry about for years to come. Slowly, we approached high school, and finally came to junior year. everyone says this is the hardest year, and I better watch out. Though I love my school enough that with enough hard work, my friends and I will persevere. I feel like I’m not as scared of junior year anymore after my unique experience of sophomore year.

I was a transfer to my new school in sophomore year, with completely different classes, teachers, classmates and unfamiliar surroundings. It’s the third best school in the country, and it was definitely daunting. While it was difficult at first, I kept on grinding, trying to do my best in all the classes and finally succeeding.

The preparations for the new school year started at orientation, a few days before school actually started. Our school is pretty small, which is why we figure out all logistics at orientation beforehand. First, we take our school picture. This is when a professional photography and yearbook company comes in to take the student pictures one by one, printing out the photo on our personal id card almost immediately. Next, we have to fill out a timeline to ensure to get our school provided laptop.

The laptops are provided to us by the district, which includes a bunch of elementary, middle and high schools in a wide area. On our laptops, we have access to teams, which is the portal where we get assignments from all our classes to work on and can turn them in digitally. These laptops are a great provision to work on and makes life easier for everyone in the district. We are loaned the same one every year and have to return it during the summer for maintenance.

After we have done all that, we finally get our schedules. One of the most important thing for my friends and I are to have the same classes and the same teachers. This year, though one of the things our class is most disappointed in are the schedules. A lot of us don’t have classes together, and we don’t even see each other in the hallways. Though all in all, I am really happy with my schedule.

On the first day, it’s great helping navigate freshman or sophomores to their respective classes if they cant find it. It’s also fun to see who else is in our class the moment we walk in. I’m always pleasantly surprised by someone in my class I didn’t know were there before.

In the first week, another common thing is schedule changes. If there is a class you don’t want to take or a specific teacher you cant have for some reason, there are slips you can sign to request a schedule change. While it won’t always get approved, the counselors make sure most kids are in the classes they want and their schedule is in the right order.

The first week is usually always chaotic, and we have finally made it past it. I’ve already learned so many new things about my teachers and classes and am truly excited about making yet another year a success. The school year is now officially underway.