With only a few weeks left of their first semester of high school, freshmen at Niles West have learned how to get around school and balance their many classes. They’ve created their own cycle – first they attend their biology and world history classes, go to homeroom, and then meet with their friends to make TikToks during lunch.

“So far, freshman year has been a good experience for me. I was nervous coming into high school and I didn’t really know what to expect. Some differences are the amount of homework, there are many more people and there are many more opportunities,” freshman Jillian Rudin said.

The Fairview alum figured out how to get involved in sports after her first few days. She played volleyball this fall, and is planning to get involved in more activities.

“After the first couple weeks, I started to manage my time better, I met new people, and I started to get more engaged,” Rudin said.

Freshman Mia Cejovic has also enjoyed her high school experience so far.

“Freshman year has actually been pretty easy. It’s a lot easier than I expected. Everyone says there’s a lot of work to do. It’s really not that hard, if you manage your time, it’s easy. I really like everything this year so far,” Cejovic said.

She’s taking all honors and AP classes this year, but she doesn’t think that they’re difficult. She manages her time well, does her homework and studies, which helps her stay on top of her schoolwork.

“Getting involved as a freshman is super easy. There are so many different things to choose from [that] it’s not hard to choose one,” Cejovic said.

Some other freshmen have different views on their first year of high school.

“Freshman year is like being at the bottom of the chain, being the lowest class and seen as annoying kids by upperclassmen and trying to make your way to the top. We did it once in middle school, and we’re doing it again in high school, but with bigger expectations, competition and crowd,” freshman Fida Khatoon said.

Khatoon believes that high school is full of new opportunities, chances and people. From her first few months of freshman year, she’s discovered that high school is mainly learning from your mistakes.

Freshman year can be difficult, but it’s important to remember that even if you haven’t gotten a grasp on high school yet, there’s still time. This semester isn’t over yet, and neither is this year. Freshmen, keep holding on – you still have seven more semesters.