High school can be weird. For many, it’s a chaotic whirlwind of sleep deprivation, anxiety-inducing tests, and unwanted socialization, but it gets easier as the years go by. For those who are going to high school for the first time, it can be especially stressful and hard to get used to. So how do freshmen navigate high school? What does a typical school day look like for the average Arcata High freshman?

One anonymous freshman said that she usually starts her school day by waking up at around 7 A.M. After waking up, she begins getting ready for school – she does her hair, gets dressed, brushes her teeth, and checks her bag to ensure she has everything. After having some breakfast, she leaves for school.

The student said that she got lost a lot during the first week of school, but she eventually navigated the campus more easily. She also said walking to each class can be stressful because other students sometimes walk too slowly or mess around in the hallways.

“I feel like I don’t want to be there most of the time, but then I eventually end up feeling better,” the student said when asked how she usually feels throughout the day.

The student said that she is exhausted at the end of the day. At home, she rests for a while before starting her homework, which is usually just a math packet. After finishing her homework, she listens to music or paints.

She said that high school doesn’t feel very different from middle school but that she enjoys all of the class options. When asked what she dislikes about high school, she said her least favorite part is going up and down the stairs every day.

Freshman Kloe Bryant said that she also feels tired at the end of the day. “Especially on block days, it’s really hard for me. I can feel myself staring at the clock, counting down until class is out,” she said. When asked what motivates her to go to school, Bryant said, “I want to have good grades. It’s a big thing I strive for because I want to get into a four-year college, and so I’m there because I have to be.”

Bryant said that when she first started high school, she expected upperclassmen to be scary and to make fun of the freshmen because of the stereotypes she had seen in the media. Once she got used to high school, she realized that everyone was just doing their own thing and they didn’t care about what others were doing. “You kind of realize that everyone is here just trying to get by. It’s actually pretty easy and I feel like there are a lot of resources to help us,” Bryant said.