Freshmen 101


Small portion of students in quad at lunch.

Erika Martinez, Staff Writer

Coming into freshman year, there are often different anticipations involved as students embark on this four-year journey known as high school. To give students some reassurance about their concerns around the work load of high school, there are different ways to make the most of their high school experience.

Students during lunch by science quad.

When a student first starts high school, the large campus and number of students and the different learning environment can intimidate incoming freshmen. But don’t worry, Helix offers a variety of resources to help students cope with any stress or anxiety about the next four years of their lives.

Although each person has their own ideas of what the high school experience should be, it can be helpful to find multiple ways of making it more enjoyable.  It seems as though the most important advice that can be given is to be involved.

Sean Morris

“Get involved as a way to help [high school] not feel as though your whole life is consumed by the homework,” suggests Sean Morris, an Intro to Social Science and AP Human Geography teacher here at Helix.

However, this does not just mean you have to do what everyone else does. There are many ways to get involved, such as joining or creating a club, playing a sport, going to sports games, joining ASB, attending fundraisers, and going to dances.

Socialize with people with the same interests as you. 

Lily Fields, a 9th grader here at Helix, states she, “pictured [freshmen year] to be relaxing with a lot of time outside of school to hang out with friends.”


Lily Fields

-On the contrary, her first three weeks have “been a lot more exhausting and [homework][…] is not allowing me to hang out with friends outside of school.”

Despite the sudden change, Fields is still looking forward to making the most of the next four years by being involved with watching football games, making new friends, and joining sports with our sports teams.

So, what can a student do to relieve their worries about Helix?

At Helix, the amount of mental support, through arrangements such as the Wellness Center, can be a student’s most effective resource. One of the most stressful times can be in the first semester of freshman year. As the pressure of high school truly begins to close in on them, teachers such as Mr. Morris understands that the shift from expectation to reality can be rough.

“This doesn’t happen in all classes but, there is definitely a moment throughout the year that most freshman, […] realize they might have to do something different in terms of what got them through 7th and 8th grade,” explains Morris.

Danika Zikas, a sophomore at Helix, began her first year here taking classes such as Honors English, Honors Algebra I, and AP Human Geography. Zikas admitted it was, “a lot of pressure to be under after coasting through middle school. The transition definitely was not easy, but after asking for help and using my resources, the year became more enjoyable and I learned to deal with the stress as well as live up to my expectations.”

Although the transition does not happen during the beginning of your Helix experience, there are ways to make the process easier.

To help with the transition, Helix offers academic support, in addition to academic clubs and after school Aspire, to morning tutorials every Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as academic support classes and teachers that are willing to help you if you ask for it. Although they will not treat you with ruth, they will do the best they can to help you succeed.

But it all has to start with you.