I’m sure that throughout your school life, you’ve met someone who randomly came along before leaving again after only a few years. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average person living in the United States moves about 11 times throughout their life. Usually people who move have children. Moving around can affect a child’s behavior as children like stability.
Most people (including myself) cannot stand the change of something that’s meant to be stable, like a home or school. I know that when teachers change the seating chart in my classes, I get nervous and feel anxious about who I’ll sit with. Change can make children feel unstable or unsure of their new environment. Moving to a new place or even changing schools can feel nerve-wracking and scary. This can be said for teenagers as well, but can be worse.
Imagine losing that feeling of looking forward to having lunch with your friends, of being known around school, having friends to see in classes, and knowing teachers around the school. It’d be tough for anyone, and cause a mix of emotions. When my parents told my siblings and I that we were moving, I felt disappointed and nervous. Even now, I miss my friends from my old school and find myself making comparisons from Stafford to my old school.
Alivia Scott, a sophomore said “[My first day] was definitely stressful. I was getting trampled in the hallways!” Even if you aren’t a new student, I think we all can relate to this heavily. The hallways at Stafford are insanely crowded and can make anyone stressed about getting to class on time.
Sophomore Gloria Osei-Agyemang said, “I miss the African student association most. We would do things like dances and learn about other African cultures.” Osei-Agyemang very quickly told me “Compared to Stafford, there were a lot of clubs, and everyone knew each other, so it felt nice to be around people you know.” It can be difficult to accept change when a school doesn’t have a club or sport one used to do. It can make you feel like you really have nothing to feel reassured about after moving.
Bria Ortiz Garcia, a senior, said “Maybe I miss that we had study halls.” Having study halls was so convenient to get homework done, but also a way to get rest and relax. Scott had something similar to study halls, called pass, where students at her old school “could get any work done that they had to do so they didn’t have to do it at home.”
When asked about friends, Osei-Agyemang and Ortiz Garcia gave me the expected answer of feeling sad, but Scott said “I already played softball with a lot of the girls that go here, so I felt fine honestly.” While most (even I myself) can relate to how Osei-Agyemang and Ortiz Garcia felt, not many can relate to how Scott felt. If anything Scott got lucky enough to have at least some people she knew at the school rather than starting fresh with no clue who anybody was. That’s quite rare for many who switch schools, even in TV shows or movies where the main character switches schools.
Though it can be difficult to go through such a different change, there can still be some similarities from one’s old school to their new school. “Same school colors, blue and yellow, and both football teams suck.” Scott listed. It’s quite ironic how Scott switched schools, most likely expecting differences like those, only to be found with extreme similarities. One difference she mentioned was that “Stafford offers a lot more.” This made me think of what Osei-Agyemang had said, because she felt as if there weren’t as many activities at Stafford as there were at her old school, compared to Scott, who believes there’s much more to do.
On the other hand, Ortiz Garcia believes that a huge similarity is the types of people and friend groups at Stafford compared to her old school. I strongly agree with this, as I’ve seen so many groups of people or just certain people who remind me of a group or someone from my old school. It gives a weird deja vu feeling, like you’re supposed to know them, even though you don’t.
Starting a new school is tough and can be intimidating. The best you can do is be yourself and eventually, you’ll find your group of people once again like you did at your old school. My dad told me that it might take some time, but by the end of the year you’ll look back on when you first started and feel relief.
If you are a new student at SHS and in need of any friends, don’t be afraid to reach out! I would love to make new friends, so do not be afraid to reach out and email me! ([email protected])
