Upperclassmen give freshmen friendly advice

Going back to school means a new year and new faces, and it also means a new incoming Freshman Class. Freshmen can be shy and timid throughout their first year of high school, but juniors and seniors are happy to help. So how do the upperclassmen of Kaneland High School help out the new faces of Kaneland?

Stereotypically, upperclassmen bully the incoming freshmen, but in all reality, the upperclassmen are here to help out with whatever they need. As intimidating as the Senior Class may seem to freshmen, they’ve been in their shoes before and can give them good advice. As with any new experience, it’s easier to tackle it once freshmen talk to someone who “knows the ropes.”

Going into high school may be stressful for some freshmen, but being able to lean on juniors and seniors is a great thing. Meeting them will give them opportunities to make new friends and meet new people in your classes.

Senior Jenny Lubic is one of many upperclassmen who is there for the freshmen’s aid. According to Lubic, she loves making freshmen feel welcome with advice and enjoys helping them out whenever they need it.

“My advice that I give to the freshmen is to spend time with friends as much as you can and to just have fun. Those are the memories that you will have forever,” Lubic said.

Junior Alyssa Evans is also  involved with the freshmen through peer leadership. She believes that without this program, the freshmen would have a hard time learning where everything is in the school.

“High school is a lot different than middle school. You have classes with upperclassman and it’s a completely different environment,” Evans said.

Getting students to open up to new experiences will help them learn and grow as a person during their years of high school. Always be open to meeting new people and getting to know the upperclassmen. They’re here to learn just like the freshmen are and they aren’t here to bother anyone.

Matthew Redman is one of the many freshmen adapting to the new environment. Redman is learning how to get around the school and also meeting a ton of new people in different grades.

“At first the school seems really confusing and I’ve gotten a lot of help from the upperclassmen to find my way through the school,” Redman said.

Asking the upperclassmen for advice will help the freshmen learn the ropes of KHS. Just a few years ago, they were in the same position as the new class of freshmen and they’re here to guide them along the way. Freshmen shouldn’t be intimidated of these hands around the school.

“I definitely don’t look at the freshmen any different than I would look at a peer in my own grade,” Evans said.

Being involved in extra curricular activities is a way to make new friends and gain experiences with people that like the same things. Broadening horizons during high school can help freshmen in the long run.

Being able to have these tools around school will be helpful to the freshmen and future leaders of KHS. Any freshmen struggling with their schedule, locker or class placement should reach out to any upperclassmen. They will be happy to help out.

Freshman Jack Marshall is involved in many extra curricular activities and has made a lot of new friends from the different grade levels.

“Being involved in football has made me meet a lot of new people and I’ve actually become great friends with many sophomores,” Marshall said.

Coming out of that shy and timid shell as a freshmen will make high school easier for them. High school is a time to make memories and live life to the fullest, while also pushing students to do the best they can. Let go of all the negative thoughts once put in the heads of freshmen and just have fun during the high school years, because they’re going to fly by!