Some freshmen are fearful that they are the youngest in the school, while older students are excited to tower mighty over the rest of their classmates. Etowah seniors have been plagued with a serious case of senioritis, a decline in motivation or performance shown in schoolwork, while some freshmen are experiencing  just the opposite.

“My hardest class is definitely government, and the only way to get through senioritis is keeping positive and going one class at a time,” Jake Smith, senior, said.

Some freshmen might say that their first year of high school is flying by while time has never seemed to move slower for many seniors.

“In the beginning, I was nervous coming into high school, but now I’m feeling good. Everyone is nice here,” Jesse McDonald, freshman, said.

Many seniors are afraid of the thought that they will soon have to go to college and leave all of their friends and family behind. What some have been dreaming of since freshman year is fast becoming a reality. Now that the time has come, so has the anxiety and fear.

“[There is] lots of school work; it’s my last year to do something big in sports, and it’s sad knowing I have to leave all my friends next year,” Tyler Freas, senior, said.

Other freshmen are worried about their grades. Some work diligently all day and night to achieve their academic goals.

“I love high school. Pretty much the only thing I’m scared about is keeping my GPA up,” Erin Aycoth, freshman, said.

Seniors are also stuck working bell-to-bell to make sure they have everything completed and ready for the next day.

“Anatomy is definitely my hardest class because there is a lot of memorization, and I cope with senioritis by just living in the last moments of high school with my friends,” Chloe Black, senior, said.

Freshmen and seniors are not the only students working persistently for their grades. Sophomores and juniors are also continuing to prepare for the rest of their high school career. Freshmen, young and ready to conquer high school, contrast with seniors who have become restless and cannot wait to graduate.