HERRIMAN – Starting off a brand new year at high school can be overwhelming. High school is demanding at times. This is evident to the new sophomores at Herriman High School (HHS). For Trey Birch, a sophomore, moving from middle school to high school is an enlightening experience.
Beginning where many students start a new year, orientation. Orientation is a practical way to teach new students how to thrive in their new environment. When asked about sophomore orientation, Birch had this to say, “I think that they could’ve improved it so much just making it more well known. Plus it felt overall pretty unorganized. On the contrary [sic] I do believe being able to meet up with friends again was nice, and being able to leave whenever was also nice. Though the freedom to go around and check everything out was very welcome.” School orientation is useful for giving new students information. Yet, a messy orientation will leave people confused.
On the topic of important information, the A and B day schedule used by HHS is a new idea for a lot of new students. “I can understand both sides of the argument. For one, it’s nice just being able to focus your energy into 4 [sic] classes per day, but the classes get so long and they feel so drawn out you lose your motivation fast. My opinion on which one I like better changes like weekly,” Birch explained. A full eight period day could be tiring for many, and limits the ability to have productive lessons, so the use of block days can make it much easier to take in.
Many sophomores also have strong opinions about the hallways. At HHS, each class is in a respective numbered hallway, the organization could be confusing for new students. Birch comes from Copper Mountain Middle School where there are color-coded pods instead of numbered hallways. “I am obviously biased towards [sic] the pods. I think that the pods were much easier to figure out as opposed to the rather confusing hallways. One of the most common things I would hear when talking about classes is people having trouble trying to find them. Especially for people who didn’t go here previously, the hallways just seem like an unorganized mess,” Birch stated. These hallways are made to make it easier to navigate through the school, but a lot of students don’t think the layout is successful. If you are feeling confused or stressed out, know that your boat is bigger than it seems, and a lot of people are on it too.
Overall, the transition to a new school is bound to have new concepts that may be confusing, from A and B days, to winding hallways, it’s inevitable for people to be lost, but with enough time, you can remember it like the back of your hand.
