Freshman First Impressions

Posted on 10/01/2020

Lili Graff

Staff Writer

Cumberland Valley’s newest class is making big transitions into their freshman year. The class of 2024 is beginning to navigate the campus, adjust to the workload, and kick off their high school career while in the midst of COVID-19. Within these first weeks of school, the freshman class has been very vocal about their initial impressions of CV and how they are simultaneously adapting to the pandemic and the lifestyle of a new highschool student.

Cumberland Valley’s campus can be overwhelming for new students due to its size and complexity. In regards to navigating the halls at CV, freshman Ella Wineka said, “The first day of school was super nerve-racking. I was scared I was going to get lost because of how big the high school is.”

“It’s been pretty challenging getting around but it’s getting easier day by day and the campus definitely takes some getting used to compared to the middle school,” freshman Sarah Qazi said.

Although the new setting was intimidating, the classes and workload have proven to be the most difficult part of the transition from middle school.

Freshman Seth Beardsley said, “The biggest difference from middle school is the teachers assign a lot more homework… it is a little harder to pick up on online teaching.“

“Overall, the transition from middle school to high school was pretty smooth. The biggest difference for me personally was definitely the workload and expectations the teachers ask for,” Wineka said.

Qazi said, “I had mixed feelings after the first day because I liked all my teachers but I was also nervous for all the work we’d have to do. The biggest difference is the workload.”

Although it is often looked at negatively, the pandemic has also assisted in making freshman year a little simpler in some aspects.

Wineka said, “COVID-19 has actually made freshman year a little bit easier since we aren’t there for the entire day.”

“We have online school for half a week so it’s not too bad. I honestly like the 2 days in school and 2 days online,” Beardsley said.

The freshman class has started to realize the impact of COVID-19 on their first year, and the changes brought by it. Academically they are busier than ever, yet are missing out on many social events that make up the high school experience.

“COVID-19 prevents me from seeing my friends at school and now most of my highschool experience is online,” Qazi said.

The class of 2024 will continue to persevere in high school as the year continues under the circumstances of COVID-19. While they may not have a traditional first homecoming dance or normal schedule at CV, at least the freshmen this year don’t have to worry about being “booed” by the seniors in the football student section.