At the start of a new school year, a rush of returning students flood the hallways and classrooms, talking to old friends and catching up with former teachers. However, it’s important to remember that not all students have attended Robinson before- some come from other schools, other states, or even other countries. Forced to acclimate to an unfamiliar environment, these new students can’t rely on prior connections in order to keep them grounded.
Several students noted the size of the school as being a considerable difference. “It’s a big school, so it’s a bit harder to talk to people and see people, because you don’t get to know everyone as closely,” said senior Caleb Greenwood. The sentiment was echoed by senior Liliana Bullert-Niesen, who additionally felt optimistic about the variety of courses offered at the school. “There’s a lot of opportunities for people to take what they want to take,” she added.
Another area of confusion was the order of classes. “It kind of confuses me how it’s one, three, five, seven and two, four, six, eight,” Caleb noted. “Why not one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight?” His sister, sophomore Megan Greenwood, agreed. “The schedule, the times of the classes, is really different.” Fellow sophomore Wren Perri also commented on how the schedule differed at her previous school. “We did first through eighth [period] and it was 8:15 to 4:20 there, so we had more time and more periods in one day.”
However, despite the growing pains that came with switching schools, new students found things to look forward to throughout the coming school year. “I’m really excited to see more sports opportunities [and] start going to football games, since I haven’t had that experience before,” said Bullert-Niesen. Caleb also mentioned his optimism for participating in athletics, saying, “I’m looking forward to cross country and sports. Just getting to know lots of people.”
Experienced Robinson attendees also offered some advice for these new students in order to help them navigate the difficulties of their first year. “I would definitely say to get involved in extracurriculars,” said senior Cecilia Younger. “I think it really helps with meeting new people and definitely with finding your place within the school.” She elaborated on some activities she wished she had done during her first year, saying, “I think I should have been a little bit more social and made sure to go to a lot of Robinson’s events… I didn’t really put myself out there.”
Another senior offered an additional bit of reflection. “I would have actually went to my counselor more and figured out what classes were mandatory that I had to take, so that I could have arranged my time more accordingly and more of my electives would be free.”
Despite challenges, however, these new students will hopefully grow to feel welcome at Robinson, and the difficulties of adjusting to a new environment will fade over the course of the school year. Regardless, they offer diverse and poignant perspectives of the school that are often overlooked and deserve to be considered.