For many students, jumping from middle school to high school brings a mix of excitement, nervousness, and new responsibilities. Greenhill offers many resources, mentors and events that are meant to help ease the students into all that the high school has to offer.
For freshman William Silberman, the first couple weeks have gone well overall, but there were a couple of significant differences he had to get used to.
“It was a little difficult, adjusting to my new class environments, but it hasn’t been too hard because my teachers have really eased me into learning while teaching us how to be a successful upper school student,” Silberman said.
For freshman Hailey Marshall, one of the most noticeable differences between middle and high school has been the increased freedom.
“High school is a lot different than middle school because we get a lot more freedom,” Marshall said. “It’s been nice being able to do what I want but also stay on top of my schedule and teacher’s expectations because being organized is up to me.”
This new independence comes in many forms: choosing where to spend time, managing unstructured periods and navigating the school day without constant direction.
Freshman Isabella Davidsohn appreciates having time during Office Hours and Free Periods to study or do anything else necessary since this time is very flexible.
Beyond academics and schedules, social connections can help how comfortable freshmen feel. Silberman notes that high school has created new opportunities to connect with older students.
“I just think that I’m also able to make relationships with older kids too because I see them a lot more during the day than I used to in middle school,” Silberman said.
Marshall credits Link Crew, faculty and her advisor with making her transition smoother and less intimidating.
“Link Crew and the faculty have really helped my transition to high school because they just made it easier to understand the whole system and made me feel comfortable with the new learning process,” Marshall said.
