High School Perspectives: Senior vs. Freshman

This year, we are in our first year of high school and we wanted to see how the mindsets of people in different grades differ. There is a vast age gap between freshman and senior students. We interviewed Charlotte Gentry, who is 14 years old, and Sophia Hernandez, who is 17 years old. Charlotte has been at Galloway for 7 years, while this is Sophia’s 14th year at Galloway. We asked them similar questions to see how their current stage of high school affects their responses, and what it means to them to be a senior and a freshman. 

Priorities

Question for Freshman: What is your priority for the next four years?

Charlotte stated, “I want to create a consistent and manageable schedule for schoolwork and extracurricular activities.” She is prioritizing her grades with the future prospect of college on her mind. She wants to set boundaries so she can focus on her needs, but she also wants to make time for her friends and family.

Question for Senior: Looking back, what do you wish you had prioritized during high school?

Sophia reflected and wished she had prioritized like-minded people. She was someone who focused on her grades, and she was looking for people who would motivate her to succeed not only in school but in life as well. She would have liked to find people she enjoyed hanging out with and who had similar values as her. 

Beginning and Endings

Question for Freshman: How do you feel about starting high school?

Charlotte was nervous during the first few weeks of high school. It was a big adjustment from middle school, and she didn’t really know what she was getting into. However, she quickly adapted and is starting to enjoy the exciting perks of high school. She is starting to prefer it over middle school because she loves the freedom and the opportunity to figure out a new “lifestyle” for herself. 

Question for Senior: How do you feel about finishing high school and moving on to college?

Sophia is ready to be done with high school, but she is also extremely nervous about the transition to college. Because she is an only child, she doesn’t have an older sibling to look out for her and tell her what it is like. She said that her parents are also sad because Sophia is growing up and moving on from her childhood. 

Favorite Thing About High School

Question for Freshman: What are you looking forward to in high school, school-related and socially?

Charlotte has always kept “High School Musical” in mind when thinking about what the high school experience will be. She is looking forward to the “stereotypical” high school experience: fun dances, good grades, and new friends. She is excited to see what good comes her way these next four years, and she is looking forward to the college process. She is also excited about the freedoms high school offers, such as free periods, driving off campus, and picking up her classes. 

Question for Senior: What was your favorite part of high school, school-related and socially?

Sophia always looked forward to seeing her friends at school, and she is definitely going to miss that the most. School can be tough and stressful, but her friends always motivated her to get through it and made school a much better place to be. On the weekends, she is always looking forward to seeing her friends and spending as much time with them as possible. 

Challenges

Question for Freshman: What do you think will be your hardest challenge during high school?

Charlotte stated that she wants to push herself and her boundaries in her academic career and work hard towards her goals. She is determined to balance her academic life with her social life. She is also determined to continue getting good grades while taking time to spend time with her friends. 

Question for Senior: What was the hardest thing about high school? 

Sophia explained that although she’s a great student, during her freshman year, she didn’t do the best because she thought they didn’t matter as much as the years ahead of her. She wants to tell her fellow freshmen, sophomores, and juniors that it’s crucial to develop a strong work ethic early on in your high school career so that in the future handling workloads won’t be a challenge. 

Thoughts on Galloway

Question for Freshman: What do you like/not like about Galloway?

As a new high schooler, Charlotte enjoys that she has lots of freedom especially because Galloway “allows us to have time to ourselves so we can learn more about ourselves and how we deal with things.” She does wish that Galloway had a football team, but it doesn’t stop her from being excited for her future high school experiences. 

Question for Senior: What do you like/not like about Galloway?

When asked what her least favorite thing about Galloway is, Sophia immediately answered with, “Parking!” She explained that ever since she got her license, finding parking spots in the morning has been agitating. However, she appreciates that there are no uniforms or dress codes at Galloway because it’s a way of self-expression. She also mentioned her love for her current/past teachers because they are understanding and want to see you learn and grow while having fun. 

College

Question for Freshman: How do you feel about college?

Although a freshman, Charlotte is already “stressed” about getting into a good college. Each year, Charlotte feels as if colleges narrow down their number of acceptances. She worries that if she doesn’t keep her grades up to colleges’ (unrealistic) standards, she’s going to face difficulty when applying to colleges later on. 

Question for Senior: How do you feel about college?

As a senior, Sophia is feeling the pressure of college now more than ever. She feels overwhelmed by the college requirements. She’s unsure of where she wants to go but is working hard to get into the best colleges she can. 

Future/Past Selves

Question for Freshman: What would you tell your future “senior” self?

Charlotte desperately wants to ask her future self, will high school live up to her expectations, and was it everything she’d hoped it would be? She wants to know what's in store for her high school future and her future beyond her high school years.

Question for Senior: What would you tell your freshman self?

Specifically, Sophia would tell herself to try her best in all of Big’s classes (especially AP gov). Generally, she would recommend keeping in mind that grades are important, even in freshman year. Relationship-wise, she would've told herself to foster friendships that include respect and love; she would have put her energy into people who will help her grow and support her in times of need and celebrate her in times of success. Lastly, she recommends all freshmen savor their next four years because high school flies by.

After interviewing Charlotte and Sophia, we noticed several similarities and differences between the thought processes of a freshman and a senior. For example, while freshman relish their newfound freedom, seniors feel stressed about college. The biggest takeaway from both interviews was that although freshmen want to know what it’s like to be a senior, seniors wish they could go back to their freshman year. 

By Marin Zocca & Ella Marks