Freshman year, going from being the oldest in middle school to being the new underclassman, is a difficult change. Learning your way around the school and making new friends are just some of the challenges the freshmen will face. Joining sports and clubs is a great way to meet new people, sophomores or upperclassmen who have once been in your shoes and will most likely be open to giving you the best advice for navigating this big, scary world called high school.
In a small town like Ledyard, you’ve probably been going to school with the same people for over eight years. Once you get to high school, things tend to change, especially since the agriscience program draws students from 13 sending towns around us. So, making a good first impression is very important. Sophomore Taylor Winkelman’s advice for the freshmen is “Don’t be the person that makes other people late to class.” Everyone knows the anger of being stuck behind the slow walkers in the halls, and the awkwardness of having to wait or sneak around the people making TikToks during passing time. On the topic of the halls, it’s easy to get lost, especially when there are so many people it can become stressful and confusing. I’m personally a victim of this; if I’m being honest, I didn’t even know there were stairs on each end of the hall at first.
Making friends is your best resort for having fun in high school. It’s obviously important to be friends with the people in your grade, and that will be easy to accomplish because that’s most likely the people you’re around the most, but getting to know people in all grades is even better. Freshman Autumn Sarol says she’s found the best way to make friends is by, “Being kind.” Simple small actions like holding the door in the morning as you walk into the school or helping classmates with work they are struggling to understand are great ways to spread kindness around school and make a good impression on your fellow students. You’re only here for four years, so don’t hold yourself back; talk to that person, make that friend, go to the party.
You create lots of memories, but how do you remember all of them? A great way to make sure you never forget some of the funniest and best moments in the next few years of your life is photos; take lots of photos. Some grades have also created an Almost-Friday Instagram page. The students submit photos either by DMs or text; posts are made every Thursday afternoon to celebrate that it’s almost the weekend and share things that have happened throughout the week.
In general, being a freshman new to the school has its challenges, but there are a lot more fun things to look forward to. Being responsible in the halls and being kind to other students are just some of the things that make the transition a whole lot easier.
Alaina Woods, Staff Writer
Sophomore Alaina Woods is a staff writer for the 2026-2027 Colonel News Site. She likes playing volleyball and tennis; her favorite season is fall, and she enjoys hanging out with her friends.
