For the freshmen walking in, Oliver Ames High School offers a wide range of exciting opportunities. This abundance can be a little overwhelming at first. Nonetheless, the freshmen seem to be settling in quickly and adjusting to the substantial change.
OA freshmen, Sonia Warrick, told Daily Olivian, “There are so many fun and interesting clubs to choose from! I cannot wait to participate in them!”. When asked to compare OA to her previous school, Easton Middle School, she responded, “OA is definitely much larger and has many more clubs and activities”.
Another unique opportunity OA presented to students is the three separate lunch blocks. Abby Holmes, another incoming freshmen, stated, “I love having all of the different lunch blocks! I know who I can sit with everyday, and have had lunch with so many people this year.” This contributes to a higher level of freedom that is felt at OA. Abby describes it as, “… [having] much more freedom to pick what I want to do, and who I want to hang out with! It’s amazing!” Expressions of OA being “…like a whole new world!” were also mentioned.
The switch to the highschool can be stressful as well. Sonia mentioned, “At first, it was slightly overwhelming because the building was so big and there were so many things to do.”
Fellow freshmen, such Puqi Lou, said he was, “… dreading that it will be a quick four years.”
The schedule alone is complicated to many freshmen. On the topic of schedules, Abby Holmes expressed, “Honestly? I have not fully memorized my schedule,” and that it was “confusing at first,” but she ended by saying that it is “not all that bad”.
Similarly, Sonia explained, “The schedule was definitely a big switch, but I have grown to like it! “ She believes, “once you slow down, it actually is really fun.” She seemed to look on the bright side of OA, saying, “The stairs can be exhausting though, but I am definitely getting my steps in!”
Puqi came up with a system to know his schedule without full memorization. He told The Daily Olivian, “ I remember the order for the blocks, then I remember what class is during each block.” Many other freshmen are deploying similar methods. Puqi expresses, “I had it down in two weeks.”
Abby optimistically summarizes, “It has been fun so far, and I am really excited to see where it goes!”
Some students have adjusted so well that they even managed to find their way to a very special place that all the upperclassmen rave about. As Puqi says, “My favorite place to go is definitely the pool on the fourth floor.” The rest of us freshmen are still trying to figure the way to that one! I guess we still have some more accustoming to do. Good luck, freshmen!