ANDOVER HIGH SCHOOL: GUIDE TO

FRESHMEN YEAR

Guide based off of student interviews to aid eight grade students in the

transition from middle school to high school

Olivia Szendey

Senior Exhibition

Spring 2014

1 Your first day of school outfit has been picked out for weeks; and ladies, let’s

be real you’ve tried it on in your bathroom mirror on multiple occasions.

You’ve got a billion worries running through your head like ―will I fit in with

the upperclassmen‖ ―will I make friends‖ or even ―will girls like me.‖ But no

fear! I’m here to walk you through the ever-so-intimidating first day of high

school.

The Night Before

If you are bringing a lunch, have it packed.

Set your outfit out to avoid scrambling in the morning.

Pack your bag, but do not pack too much! The first day

all you really need is a notebook, some pencils/ pens, a

calculator or your summer reading novel depending if

you have English or math first semester. (See chapter

two for more details on the ―freshmen backpack‖ and

how to avoid it.)

Make sure you have your summer reading completed.

While some teachers barely use the books, others go

into depth with the summer work and you do not want

to start off on the wrong foot!

Set an alarm for the morning. Personally I need to set

five alarms but do whatever you need to ensure you

wake up on time!

―Teachers First‖

The Morning of

Wake up on time.

Have a big breakfast; your teachers might not be happy if you

snack during class time.

Allow your parents to take those ―first day of high school

pictures.‖ Although they might annoy you now, they are fun to

look back on senior year to see how much you have changed!

Before School Starts

“My biggest worry as I walked

into AHS for the first time was

where I would find my friends

in the morning. I texted my

friends as I walked in to meet

up!” –Senior, Female

Although the first day might be a bit out-of-whack, your

friend group will eventually settle and be in the same

location every morning. Often times that is the library, the

café, or the ―Freshmen hallway,‖ located in the back of

the second floor where most freshmen lockers are.

It may be helpful when you get to school to walk around

with your friends to attempt to orient yourself and figure

out where some of your classes might be.

Classes

Each class is 82 minutes long, which in comparison to the 45 or 60 minute classes you had in

middle school may seem extremely long. In fact, it’s not! Teachers design their curriculum to

fill out the allotted time and 45 minutes will soon seem too short.

Navigating the halls of a foreign building may seem a little difficult, but no worries because

AHS is actually really easy to navigate. The first number of a given room correlates to the

floor the class is on. Once you get onto the correct floor, the school is just a square and if you

wander the perimeter you will eventually find your room. There are a few classes in the

middle hallway of each square. If your room number is high like in the 80’s there is a chance

you will find it there. The first week of school teachers understand if you run late because

you simply could not find their classroom. But, in my experience, I have never had trouble

finding a room. Stick to the rule of thumb of walking around the square though, you do not

want to be the freshmen carrying a map around.

On the first day of school most classes will spend a lot of time going over classroom

procedures and policies. There might be some activities related to course work for example in

math your teacher might have you do a review worksheet. All of your teachers are simply

trying to help you assimilate into high school.

Lunch

For me, this was the most nerve wracking part of my entire day. My middle school

experience was that only your grade would be in the same lunch together, so I was always

with my friends. But, in high school all grades are split between the four lunches. Despite my

original fears, everything ended well.

During first block your teacher will generally pass around the lunch schedule. Sometimes this

schedule is passed around through social media before the start of school. On this schedule it

will list the four lunches and the teacher’s names of the classes that will be attending a given

lunch. Simply look for your teachers name and after first block you can text your friends to

see if you will have lunch together.

If none of your friends seem to be in your lunch, there is still no reason to worry! You might

find someone in your third block class to sit with. If not, once you get down the cafeteria the

first 10 minutes of the lunch block will be spent with a lot of people wandering around

looking for who to sit with, what table to sit at, etc. You will find someone you are

comfortable with enough to sit with.

Do not worry about not being in lunch with your best friends, this is such a great opportunity

to become friends with people you might not be as close with.

As far as food goes, some people bring lunch and some people buy it. What you want to do is

completely up to you. Every day the cafeteria offers a hot lunch option which varies, pizza,

wraps. At the snack bar underneath the stairwell in the café closest to the Collins center you

can find popcorn, smoothies, bagels, premade salads, etc.

The cafeteria has options to recycle trash with bottles, liquids, compost, and regular trash.

Please, respect the school and clean up your trash once you are done eating.

―Free and Reduced‖

2 All through middle school I remember hearing scary rumors about the

workload in high school. Much to my dismay, I found those rumors to be true.

There will be sleepless nights and stressful weeks, but you can get through it.

Tackling the academics is tough but absolutely doable—and I am here to help

you!

Classes

Unlike middle school, you actually get a say in the

classes you take. This gives you a lot of freedom to

explore your own interests.

Take a class because the course matter interests you, not

because all of your friends are taking it

Take a risk: sign up for something that might be

challenging to you or not in the scope of anything you

have ever done before.

Take advantage of half credit courses and electives, the

school has so many great options and the class selection

is only improving.

Challenge yourself: would you rather get an easy A in a

level two or struggle to get an A in a level one? Keep in

mind how much time you have to work on a class given

your afterschool schedule as well as what will look

more competitive when applying to colleges. (―Student‖)

Sleep Versus Workload

The biggest transition from middle school to

high school is going to be your workload and

afterschool time. You might find yourself

consumed with sports and activities and not get

home until late only to have a pile of homework

to do; it does not matter if you’re tired, you still

have to do it.

I am a big fan of sleep, and in middle school I

would be in bed by 10 every night. High school

however, I did not have that opportunity. There

would be nights where I would find myself

awake at odd hours studying or writing papers

In my interviews I performed in preparing for

this guide, the best advice I think I heard was

“Study when you’re awake, if you need to take a nap,

take a nap.”-Senior, Female.

You need to learn your body, your mind, and

how you function best in exhaustion. There are

going to be many occasions throughout high

school where you simply do not have time to get

the 8 hours of sleep your body demands while

doing well academically. You are going to have

to sacrifice one way or another.

I have friends who will stay up until 3 am doing

homework; I have others who will take a 20

minute nap and then power through homework.

I know if I take nap though, I will not wakeup

again.

It took me almost four years to figure out how I

function best. I find I lose an attention span after

11pm and I end up very distracted and spend

more time scrolling through the internet than I

do on my homework. So, I now always go to

bed by 11pm, and instead wakeup at 4 or 5am to

complete what I need to. I work better after a

refreshing sleep.

This works for me, but it does not work for

everyone, it is important to find in what kind of

environment you study best in and understand

that if want to excel at Andover High School, it

is almost inevitable that you will have to

sacrifice sleep time.

Homework

Do it.

As I said before, do it.

Even if you think your teacher will not be

checking it, do it.

I am not sure if I can stress this enough, do

your homework. No, not in the class before

or rush through. Do it at home and take your

time. Teachers actually assign homework for

a reason; it keeps you prepared for exams.

Pop quizzes are something you should

always expect. Not all teachers give them

but they are something to always be

prepared for. You do not want to be caught

off guard.

If you keep up with your homework, even if

your teacher never checks it, it will save you

in the long run. You will not be as stressed

out for tests or for the final because you will

have been working at the material for a

longer amount of time. In the long run,

doing your homework regularly encodes the

material in your memory better than

cramming for a test the night before will.

Not doing your homework will severely hurt

you if your teacher checks it. But doing it,

on the other hand, can help you.

“I was never very good at math, and I never did

that great on the tests or quizzes. But, my

teacher did count homework for 15% of our

grade. I made sure to do my homework every

night and because of that I did so much better in

the class than I should have.” –Junior, Male.

Homework is easy points, don’t lose them.

(―Child Sleeping‖)

Extra Help

Do not be afraid to ask for it.

Be sure to ask for it before it is too late

Even if you think you understand the

material, it is often helpful for a teacher to

go over your homework with you as you do

it or read through an essay outline in order

to ensure you are on the right track.

Other than your teachers, you can seek out

help from classmates, NHS members, or

AP tutors.

Teachers

You have no say in what teacher you have

for a class, so first off do not waist your

guidance counselors time.

Ignore biases.

“I went into my english class junior year

expecting it to be horrible because so many

people told me my teacher was absolutely

nasty; that class ended up being one of my

favorites. I absolutely loved that teacher and

she even wrote my college recommendation” –

Senior, Male.

Just because a teacher works for one person

does not mean they will work for everyone.

Everyone has different learning styles and

different personalities. Do not base your

decision of a teacher based off of what

other people tell you, especially when it is

on the negative side.

Get to know your teachers, they are

friendly people. Talk to them; ask them

how their day is. It is important to make

connections to the staff freshmen year, it’s

nice to see those friendly faces of past

teachers in the halls and stop to have a

conversation with them as an

upperclassman.

Some of your teachers will end up being

really critical figures in your life.

“I do not know how I would have survived last

year without one of my teachers. My family was

going through a lot of changes and she was just

constantly there for support. I look up to her so

much and I plan on still keeping in touch next

year in college” – Senior, Female.

Making connections with teachers as an

underclassman is something you will be

thankful for.

(―Teacher Clipart‖)

Motivation

If you are not motivated by some

external or internal factor, your school

work will suffer.

“My grades were never bad; they were just not

where they could be. I was not reaching my

full potential. Sophomore year my parents told

me they would pull me from my spring sport if

my grades were not in a certain range. I love

my sport so I worked hard all semester to keep

my grades up. I realized how high my potential

was and receiving such high grades motivated

me to keep working hard. I only wished I

figured out how to work harder earlier on” –

Senior, Male

College may seem far away, but you

need to start caring about your grades

now. 70% of the students I

interviewed mentioned that they

regretted not trying as hard freshmen

year. Your freshmen grades set the

base for your GPA. They actually

make up 1/3 of the GPA that colleges

will see. If you get the best grades

you can now, your junior self will be

thankful.

It’s simple, find a reason to be

motivated, get the good grades. If you

slack off a bit freshmen year thinking

the grades will come as easy as they

(―Sleeping Clip Art‖)

(Martin)

Psychology tip:

Create incentives: an external stimulus that

motivates behavior.

Internal motivation: completing an activity

because it pleases you

External motivation: completion of

activity because of consequence

“The Freshmen Backpack”

The ―freshmen backpack‖ is known as a big bulky backpack

filled to the brim with books. This bag is often seen being

carried around by freshmen, therefore fulfilling its name.

“My advice to incoming freshmen? Do not have a freshmen

backpack. One, it looks silly. Two, when I am walking behind you in

the hallway and it hits me I will be mad.” Senior, Female.

Use your locker. You will get a lot of textbooks; do not carry

them all around at once. You have plenty of time between

classes take advantage of it in order to keep other students safe

by not hitting them in the hallways, and yourself safe from

back issues.

Purchase a good backpack. I rocked up LL Bean backpack

through junior year but sadly it came to its end and I had to

look into getting a new backpack. I spent a good chunk of

cash on a nice North Face backpack, and it is honestly worth

it. I have noticed that it is in fact slimmer and gives less of a

bulky look, has back padding for a comfortable fit, and a

laptop compartment. I’m not saying to get a North Face

backpack, but just keep in mind you carry your backpack

around everywhere, get something sturdy and comfortable that

suits your needs.

The Unofficial Hallway

Rules

Do not walk slowly.

Do not stop in the

middle of the hallway.

Do not yell across the

hallway.

Do not turn around

mid-step.

If you want to talk to

someone, pull off to

the side.

Do not push or shove

people.

(Laube)

3 Andover High School as well as the general Andover area is a great

environment to explore interests beyond the classroom. The best thing you can

do is take advantage of the opportunities! Do not be afraid to take a risk try out

something new and possibly discover new interests and meet friends along the

way.

Jobs

With high school seem comes the need for more money

and more responsibility, both of which a job can provide.

Finding a job is not always easy; you might have to fill out

10 applications before even getting an interview. Often the

best time to apply is mid-August when businesses are

hiring for the school year as college kids leave.

You can also look for a job right in your neighborhood and

babysit kids afterschool.

Jobs are often posted at the bottom of the daily bulletin

located on aps1.net.

You do not need to have a job, but it is nice to have an

independent means of earning money.

(―Job‖).

Sports

Sports teams are fun, especially the freshmen teams. They are something that Is easier to

make and a chance to meet a lot of new people and potentially develop a strong passion

towards a sport

“I was disappointed at first when I did not make the JV soccer team as a freshmen. But, in the

end it worked out better because I was able to grow really close to a group of girls I might not

otherwise have had the chance to” –Sophomore, Female.

There are more opportunities for sports than the teams the school offers; Andover youth

services has no cut offerings which give off an extremely inclusive vibe such as ultimate

Frisbee and rugby. Many students also participate in Crew through greater Lawrence or

Essex Rowing as well as dance and other activities.

“I wish I had joined the ultimate Frisbee team earlier. I was scared to join freshmen because

my friends thought ultimate was weird. I joined sophomore year and it was the best decision I

ever made, I wish I had not been guided by peer pressure and joined earlier. ―–Junior, Female.

Even if you are not particularly athletic, you can still be involved in sports. Football

games are always a fun social event during the fall season. Andover high school is well

known for their fan section ―The Jungle,‖ as seen at basketball games.

Whether you’re in the crowd cheering, or on the field playing your heart out, athletics are

a great opportunity to meet new people while creating ties within the community as well

explore passions and stay fit.

Music & Theater

Andover high school has an incredible music

department including orchestra, marching band,

concert band, jazz band, pep band, chorus, chamber

choir, and show choir.

Some of these musical opportunities require little

commitment and some require lengthy practice

times. For example, concert band meets only every

other day for the minimum of a semester with 2

concerts in that time span while marching band has

lengthy afterschool practices and many

performances.

Music, like sports, requires commitment. If you are

going to participate in a musical group you must be

committed to attend rehearsals and practice outside

of allotted rehearsal times.

In line with AHS music, is the drama

guild. Typically the drama guild has

three shows a year: A fall musical, a

drama festival entry, and a straight

play.

―Sophomore year I participated in the pit

band for Fiddler on the Roof. It was a huge

time commitment but it was such a fun

experience it was worth it. The show came out

great and I loved being surrounded by such a

dedicated group of students” –Senior, male.

Even if you feel your spot is not on the

stage there are plenty of opportunities

to be involved in the music and drama

departments. There is always backstage

help and tech needed to keep the shows

running.

(―Soccer Ball‖)

Clubs

If you’re interested in something, there is more likely a

club for it. If there is not, you can create it!

Andover high school as an incredible amount of club

selections including things like debate club, feminist

club, psychology club, and doctor who club.

“Every year I wanted to join student government, and every

year I did not join. I really regret that.”-Senior, female.

In the fall there is a club fair during lunch where

members of each club with set up a table outside the

café. Feel free to walk around talk to members of

different clubs and sign up for things that you think

might interest you.

It cannot hurt to attend a club meeting. If you do not

like it, then you do not have to return; no pressure!

Clubs span a whole range of interests from sporting

activities, music, community service, arts, academics,

etc.

Extra-Curricular benefits

Form friendships

Build a resume and be

competitive for colleges

Aids community

involvement

Discover passions

Keep yourself busy

Fun stress free

opportunities and outlets

Expand classroom

interests (math team,

debate club, etc).

4 Mental Health

High school is demanding; academically and

socially. Your mental health will most likely not

always be perfect, but there are ways to counter

balance bad days

Find a support system, people you can go to on

bad days. They could be friends, teachers,

parents, trusted adults, guidance counselors,

coaches, etc.

“People told me going into my freshmen year that I

could go to my guidance counselor with personal

issues. I laughed that off as weird, but 3 years later I

found myself in my guidance counselor’s office many

days ranting and spilling out all of my thoughts. It’s not

weird, it’s helpful” –Senior, Male.

Discover an outlet. It could be something as

simple as taking a nap, reading a book, working

out, etc. Just make sure it is a helpful one.

(―Mental Health‖).

Dealing with administration

You may have heard rumors of kids getting

suspended for various things and there’s a very

simple solution to deal with administration:

follow the rules.

You might like all of the rules, but by obeying

them you will find a smooth high school

experience.

You may believe the rules to be fallible but you

should still follow them you do not have the

moral authority to disregard them.

Respect administration and your teachers, they

are essentially in charge of your life for the next

years

Attendance

Be on time for class every morning,

there is no reason to be late because

you will only end up in detention.

Do not skip class your teacher will

write you up and you will serve an

office detention.

If you have to miss class for excusable

reasons, let your teacher know. If your

sick send them an email and ask what

you missed; it is a simple gesture that

they tend to really appreciate.

Fashion

Back to school shopping comes with a lot of thrill and

excitement; enjoy it as a chance to explore your personal

style. Do not buy clothes because you think it is what you

need to fit in—buy clothes you are comfortable in. If you love

dressing nice, then dress nice. If you wear sweatpants and t-

shirts every day, then be comfortable and own that fashion

there is no need to dress in a way that you are not. Don’t

waste money on things you will not confidently wear.

“When it comes down to it, people do not care how you dress. My

best friend wears t-shirts everyday meanwhile I’m decked out in

vineyard vines. Dress in what makes you happy.”-Senior, female.

Middle school has a strict dress code, Andover High school

does not. No one walks around to make you change if your

shorts are not fingertip length. Please, keep your clothing

choices classy and appropriate. There is a fine line between

how you might dress to go out to the beach and how you

should dress for school. Please respect yourself and do not

blur that line.

Works Cited

Casto, Grace. Personal interview. 18 Mar. 2014.

Cerbone, Marika. Personal interview. 28 Mar. 2014.

"Child Sleeping." My Cute Graphics. Web. 16 May 2014.

<http://www.mycutegraphics.com/graphics/kids/child-sleeping.html>.

Colby, Moorea. Personal interview. 9 Apr. 2014.

Draper, Diane. Personal interview. 29 Mar. 2014.

Draper, Sophie. Personal interview. 8 Mar. 2014.

Duerr, Evan. Personal interview. 26 Feb. 2014.

Ferronetti, Jessica. Personal interview. 1 Apr. 2014.

"Free and Reduced Price School Meals." School Nutrition and Fitness. Delware City Schools, 2014. Web.

15 May 2014.

<http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?page=lunchapps&sid=1101121849023851

>.

Greaves, Jesse. Personal interview. 5 Apr. 2014.

Harris, Emma. Personal interview. 28 Apr. 2014.

Harris, Rachel. Personal interview. 12 Apr. 2014.

Hu, Chelsea. Personal interview. 24 Mar. 2014.

Huang, Olivia. Personal interview. 10 Mar. 2014.

Hunt, Mae. Personal interview. 6 Mar. 2014.

"Job." Clipart Best. Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.clipartbest.com/free-clip-art-great-job>.

Jodoin, Max. Personal interview. 29 Apr. 2014.

Johnson, Meghan. Personal interview. 3 Apr. 2014.

Keffer, Zoe. Personal interview. 10 Apr. 2014.

Kirwin, Dana. Personal interview. 18 Mar. 2014.

Laube, Leigh Ann. "Heavy packs putting strain on students' backs." Times News. 2 June 2011. Web. 16

May 2014. <http://www.timesnews.net/article/9029273/heavy-packs-putting-strain-on-students-

backs>.

Lin, Emily. Personal interview. 26 Feb. 2014.

Lionetta, Angelina. Personal interview. 6 Mar. 2014.

Lokhandwala, Saalik. Personal interview. 28 Feb. 2014.

Marino, Christina. Personal interview. 28 Mar. 2014.

Martin, Emily. Personal interview. 15 Apr. 2014.

Martin, Phillip. "School Days." Phillip Martin Clip Art. Web. 16 May 2014.

<http://school.phillipmartin.info/student_journalist02.htm>.

"Mental health." Clipart Best. Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.clipartbest.com/

free-clip-art-mental-health>.

Nason, Jessie. Personal interview. 11 Mar. 2014.

Ritchie, Alex. Personal interview. 11 Apr. 2014.

Root, Cece. Personal interview. 11 Mar. 2014.

Shnakenburg, Rachel. Personal interview. 25 Mar. 2014.

"Sleeping Clip Art." Pic Gifs. Web. 16 May 2014. <http://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/sleeping/>.

"Soccer Ball." Clipart Best. Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.clipartbest.com/a-picture-of-a-soccer-ball>.

"Student." Clipart Best. Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.clipartbest.com/

free-clip-art-student>.

"Student." A Perfect World. Web. 16 May 2014. <http://www.aperfectworld.org/academic.htm>.

"Teacher." Best Clipart. Web. 16 May 2014. <http://bestclipartblog.com/27-teacher-clip-art.html/teacher-

clip-art-5>.

"Teachers First Day of School Icebreakers." Teachers First. Iste100, 2011. Web. 15 May 2014.

<http://legacy.teachersfirst.com/firstday.cfm>.

Vangapali, Muvva. Personal interview. 14 Apr. 2014.

Wagner, Natalie. Personal interview. 8 Mar. 2014.

Wu, Sharon. Personal interview. 9 Apr. 2014.

Yin, Victoria. Personal interview. 24 Feb. 2014.

Zhao, Wendy. Personal interview. 28 Feb. 2014.