Every fall, 14- and 15-year-olds who once ruled their middle schools walk through the doors of Northern Valley Demarest. After being told they were the role models, they now struggle to tell the B hallway from the E hallway and squeeze past students twice their size. Nothing prepares the freshman enough for tougher classes, navigating new social circles, and the challenge of balancing it all. They’ve entered new turf, and new turf means new rules… and the freshmen are full of questions.
Like many other freshmen at NVD, Lana Kim was curious about how to balance school and friends.
“Does it get harder to balance your social life as school gets more demanding?” freshman Lana Kim said.
The shift to faster-paced classes and a heavier workload often leaves freshmen feeling overwhelmed, as other freshmen also shared similar concerns about juggling academics and extracurriculars.
“How do you maintain good grades and a good social life?” freshman Maya Shaul said. “Balancing both is hard when you’re in sports and clubs; how do you make it work?”
Furthermore, athletes in particular were curious to hear from seniors about the tips and tricks of effective time management during sports seasons.
“How do you balance school with practice during your sports season? With practice almost every day, how do you stay on top of work?” freshman Kaden Flax said.
In addition to wondering how best to take on time consuming activities like clubs and sports, some students also wondered how their interests could guide their academic path, especially those considering future careers.
“Sports medicine and athletic training is something I am really interested in majoring in,” freshman Kayla Wang said. “To seniors interested in majoring in similar fields, what classes, clubs, or volunteering opportunities would you recommend?”
And finally, one question from an NVD freshman might just stump the seniors.
“When should you figure out what you want to major in for college… Is it okay if you don’t know yet?” freshman Gazelle Fermano said.
Seniors interested in sharing their advice are encouraged to reach out to [email protected]
