The transition to high school is coming for middle school students

First, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Christina Connell, and I am going to be a freshman at Carson High School this year.

You might know me as the creator of the miniaturized Carson City Solar System - where you could visit every planet in our solar system right here in Carson City. I did that for a science project in eighth grade; that was a fun project.

As a freshman, I am going to take beginning honors English, Spanish II and musical theater.

I will be writing a once-a-month column in this newspaper. In this column, I'll be writing on a number of topics, from high school life to my own personal insights on things that affect all of us - teenage citizens to senior citizens.

With summer vacation half over for most students, I am compelled to discuss what can be an exciting time for some and a looming terror for others - the approach of high school.

What is high school? I mean, sure it's a place where we learn, but what is it really? Well, for us freshmen, we're about to find out what high school really is. It's just around the corner. We'll have new classes, new teachers, a new environment and a whole new adventure.

Some of us are excited for the new school year, meeting new friends and starting school again with a fresh clean slate. But some of you probably wish that summer would last a lifetime. However, this paradise called summer is only a transition from the last school year to the next. This year, though, it's a bit different. It's a transition from one school to a completely new one.

Growing up, none of us really heard much about middle school, but everyone knew about high school. It seemed like the greatest place, but it seemed forever until we were going to get there. And now, as I've graduated from the eighth grade, it hit me like a brick wall that it is finally here. I'm so excited, and I think most of the other freshmen are, too.

I think a lot of students, however, think high school is fun and the place where you get to hang out with all your friends. Don't get me wrong; I'm planning to have a great time, too, but it is also the place where we need to make one of the most essential decisions in our lives: who we will become. This is the time in our life where we basically become the person we will be for the rest of our life. We will soon become independent, young adults and have to make a lot of decisions all on our own. Some of them will be easy and some will be difficult.

In the meantime, we will learn the basics: the basics of knowledge, the basics of relationships, the basics of the world around us and the basics of life - getting to know ourselves better as we go along. For us freshmen, there are only four years left of "basic" training until we spread our wings and leap from the nest to fend for ourselves. It seems like a long time, but it will fly by, I'm sure.

A lot of this might seem overwhelming, and it can be. But don't worry Ð our family and friends will be there to guide us along, encourage and support us and correct our course. And, in a way, I will be there, too, right here in the newspaper. So don't be afraid, we're all in this together.

Yours truly,

Christina Connell, high school reporter