Many teens are ready to say goodbye to middle school, but the real question is, are they ready to say hello to high school? Some eighth graders at Rachel Carson Middle School were interviewed to find out  how they feel about going to high school, and many students had mixed feelings and diverse opinions.

The majority of students say they are ecstatic for high school. High school brings upon a new beginning, and some students are looking for a fresh start with fri

ends and academics. Furthermore, teens say they are excited for new experiences, because high school offers academic opportunities and an array of sports and clubs such as Dance Team, DECA, debate, and volleyball.  Another reason students are excited is because high school lets students explore and extend their passions to  prepare for college. Avesta Panjshiri supports this by stating, “I want to go to high school because I want to get a better education, make new friends, and I also want to get an advanced diploma for college.”

However, a common reason why some teens are not excited for high school, is because it’s the ending of middle school. Often, their friends will become separated from them, which is the situation of Carson eighth grader, Delia Hartman, “ I’m not excited at all. A new environment, more homework, and on top of that, literally all my friends are going to Oakton High School.” Another frequent reason for the fear of high school, is the anticipation of a high workload. Trying to balance extracurricular activities while flourishing in academics will become increasingly toilsome.  Hanya Ning, a future student of Thomas Jefferson High School, which is known for its exceptional STEAM program, says, “I am somewhat worried about the workload.”

Overall, high school is a time of opportunity, and a fundamental experience in preparation for life beyond it. “You get to learn from your mistakes and challenge yourself while you make lots of new friends” says Nawreen Jahan, a journalism student at Rachel Carson Middle School.