Freedom. Responsibility. Opportunity. Stress. My new world of high school is far greater than my former world of middle school. My name is Hannah Griffin, and I am a freshman. Though high school is a drastic change, I am happy and anxious to finally be settling in as an Etowah Eagle. Other freshman feel the same, too.   

“High school so far has been exciting yet stressful,” Claire Williams, freshman, said. 

The longer lunch period allows me to do my homework or talk to my friends. I enjoy the amount of freedom I have here. I love how the teachers treat me like I am more mature, and I like walking between campuses because it is nice to get a bit of fresh air during the school day. Many freshmen appreciate this aspect of high school.  

“It is very fun and free compared to middle school,” Sadie Brooks, freshman, said.  

With almost one semester complete, I have noticed that it is more difficult to keep up with my school work. Many nights, I stay up late doing assignments that I have put off to the last second. Being accountable for myself is something I have always struggled with, but high school will teach me to overcome it. Many other freshmen also face this challenge. 

“The hardest part of high school is the responsibilities that come with the freedom and the workload that has escalated from middle school,” Collin Sherrer, freshman, said.   

I anticipated more freedom in high school, but I never expected the many possibilities Etowah has offered me. There are more course and club options at Etowah, compared to middle school, and I am eager to get involved somewhere, and so are other students.   

“I expected the freedom but never would have imagined the opportunities that came along with it,” Erin Aycoth, freshman, said.  

My freshman year is the beginning of a four-year journey, and I am excited to see where my future takes me.