![Wayland High School Class of 2019 alum Devin Wong is the new assistant coach of Harvard University Nordic Ski Team. "I’m excited to be a part of a new team and coaching staff am motivated to learn from [head coach] Cate Brams and grow as a coach and wax tech," Wong said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/09-27-24-NSKI-Wong-Announcement-1920x1080-1-e1730466291327-1200x704.jpg)
Freshman year. Everyone’s been there. You’re the little fish in a great big pond, one kid against the world. To those readying themselves for the battle this year, the class of 2013, we salute you. Andy Marton is one of those brave souls, and he’ll be writing us weekly updates from the front lines in his blog, Freshman Follies.
Well, for my first post, I thought I’d talk about the four best things about moving up from the middle school to the high school. Usually it’s five, but honestly I could only think of four….
4. High school doesn’t baby students the way the middle school does. We’re actually expected to act like two hundred 14- and 15-year-olds. The problem with this is that some of us will actually have to start acting our age. I just hope no one is too disappointed when they see what two hundred 14- and 15-year-olds are really like.
3. Teachers are always a bit more patient with you at the beginning of the year. For a week or so, I can get away with being late to class and not turning in homework on time by claiming that I have trouble adjusting. But always, soon after, my teachers figure out I’m not incompetent, I’m just lazy.
2. We can pick some of our courses — electives. However, if you take one, you have officially lost the right to complain about the amount of work you get from school. True freedom always comes with a price.
1. My favorite reason? FREES! A period when you can do whatever you want! True, each of the schools in Wayland has something like this. At the middle school, they call it study hall. At the elementary schools, they call it recess.
So, summer has drawn to a close, and we’re all back to sitting in little blue plastic chairs with more privileges and higher expectations. I hope that this year, on this first day, I won’t completely forget the name of anyone who runs up to hug me. Not to mention all the other things you forget — how annoying your friends really are, how bad homework actually is, and how long we’re going to have to sit here.
Every year you have to learn it the hard way.
