By Lucia Gabriel and Brooklyn Brant

For many incoming high schoolers, jumping from eighth to ninth grade can be a big leap. The grades and overall experience of freshmen can truly set the tone for the rest of their time in high school.

Freshmen may fall behind in school for many reasons, and the transition to high school can be challenging. According to sparkadmissions.com, “Admissions officers look at the freshman year as the starting point of a student’s academic journey.” Colleges recognize that students going from middle school to high school deal with many obstacles as they adapt to an unfamiliar environment, take on more extracurricular activities, and handle a heavier workload. High school students take on newer responsibilities with more autonomy and teachers maintain less control over them. According to usprogram.gatesfoundation.org, “It is important for students to establish effective strategies for managing high school, and ninth grade is the time when they figure out how to do that.” Freshman year is a crucial time for students to gain more independence to do their work, build up a good attendance, and earn high grades.

The guidance counselors at Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) handle hundreds of students throughout high school and can be a beneficial resource for freshman adjusting to high school. Ms. Grillo, a guidance counselor at PVHS, said, “The minute you step foot on campus everything counts.” This includes maintaining a good GPA, participating in sports, and getting involved with extracurriculars to help build a resume. She encourages students to challenge themselves to self-advocate, get organized, and take charge of their learning.

Mr. Pickard, a social studies teacher at PVHS said, “Time management and learning how to do a little bit each day rather than cramming is important, as well as studying to understand not memorize.” Questions on assessments in high school require a deeper level of understanding and are based more on application than memorization. He explained that freshman year, especially the second semester, is a good predictor for later years in high school. He said that successful students on the AP test continue to be successful later in high school. Even though some freshmen may have had a rough start to high school in terms of grades and extracurriculars, they still have the chance to recover from that. Many seniors reflect on freshman year and have opinions on what went well and what didn’t.

Hailey Rampey, a senior at PVHS, said, “I feel like I slacked during my freshman year and by the time I got to my sophomore year I learned to be more active in school and my classes.” She explained that her initial grades during her freshman year brought down her overall GPA, so she became increasingly aware of the high expectations of high school. Anya Dorairaj, a senior at PVHS, said, “Having a strong freshman year in terms of academics and extracurriculars has helped me to show continued rigor and work ethic on my college applications. Also, staying on top of all my courses helped me make sure I did not have any regrets about my grades.” It is important to not only focus on academics in ninth grade but also try new extracurricular activities and sports. Annabelle Guirato, a senior at PVHS said, “Freshman year I joined cross country not knowing if I would like it or continue doing it throughout high school. Joining the team has led me to meet my best friends and people I am most inspired by.” Although it can be challenging, being open to new extracurriculars helps students make new friends and discover new interests, making them more well-adjusted and acclimated to a good learning environment.

Freshman year performance can also impact the opportunities that students have access to later on in high school. “I applied to many selective programs over the course of high school that required me to submit details about my experiences freshman year,” explained Dorairaj. She applied to Youth Leadership Jacksonville during the second semester of her freshman year and now represents PVHS in the program’s class of 2024. Dorairaj said, “Doing well in my science classes and showing extracurricular involvement in STEM helped me get into those programs.” She applied to other research programs and internships during her sophomore and junior year, such as Mayo Clinic’s Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge (SPARK).

Many sophomores look back on their freshman year and have much to reflect on such as grades, social dynamics, and studying. Laine Shapiro, a sophomore at Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) said, “Being in a new environment was definitely challenging to adjust to at first. It took some getting used to but eventually it becomes normal.” As mentioned before, it is important during the freshman year to establish good study habits and prepare for higher academic rigor as soon as possible. Eli Sgrignoli, another sophomore at PVHS explained, “Most of my problems were with homework and studying. I overcame them by creating a to-do list and setting time aside for the important things.” This same thought is shared with other students who agreed that staying organized and not procrastinating is the best strategy. Many students increase their rigor in terms of classes, such as going from standard to honors, or honors to AP. Lily Coltman, a sophomore at PVHS, touched on this when she said, “I had A’s and B’s freshman year, so I chose to take higher level classes my sophomore year.” Choosing to do this can have many benefits such as a higher GPA, but it also comes with many struggles to keep up with the workload.

Students take away many valuable lessons and memories from each year of high school, however freshman year is extremely important for quick adjustments although there’s room for mistakes. One low grade is not going to permanently affect later high school years.  It is highly important for students to, quickly upon their entry into their freshman year of high school, get up to speed with proper study habits, a balance of studying, extracurricular activities, and free time. It is imperative for new students in high school to prioritize their activities and efforts in a way that will optimize their consistent success as well as enjoying their first year of high school. It’s all about balancing the priorities in life, which is an important lesson for all students.

Pictured: Freshman Savannah Cumbo working on homework.