The humid, pitch black air absorbs my fears as the familiar pressure of my enormous effie backpack weighs down on my shoulders. Standing at the bus stop before my first day at WHHS, all possible mishaps perform an intricate gymnastics routine in my brain. Getting lost takes a running start, before hurdling, flipping, and sticking the landing, just as having no one to sit with at lunch takes center stage.

    I am snapped out of my horrors as the bus rattles its way to a stop in front of my stop. I get on and am greeted by the nervous buzz of back-to-school energy as I search for both an empty seat and familiar face. The empty seat prevails, and I totter to the back of the bus. Soon enough I am walking through the majestically intimidating doors of WHHS, with this new world seemingly at my fingertips.

    The first day of school at WHHS is rarely a piece of cake, as students face a range of challenges, the first just after they enter the doors. Navigating the halls of WHHS can be a struggle for anyone, but especially during your first year. At elementary schools, “we had to walk in lines… so this is a lot bigger,” Hannah Ware, ’24, said. To maximize the time you have to get to class, be sure to find out the fastest route – sometimes going outside can actually save you time.

    Additionally, the crowded hallways often prove to be an inconvenience. At the base of stairwells, or the connecting point of two hallways, hallway congestion is often present.

“Having all the kids in the hallway at one time,” proves to be a challenge for Tamya Mitchell, 24.

However slow the crowd may be moving, it does not help if people start to push. This only increases people’s’ irritability and does nothing in terms of getting you where you need to be faster. Instead, keep in mind hallway etiquette. Just like a real road, always walk on the right side of the hallway, which helps to keep the traffic flow orderly and efficient.

    Navigating the new schools’ hallways can be difficult, but another aspect of WHHS that can seem challenging to students is the heavier workload.

“At my old school, we barely got homework, and if we did we could easily do it in class. Here, when I have homework I have to go to the library and do it there,” Moukhamadou Fall, ’24, said. Making the best use of your study hall is one good way to work on homework, so you have less to do after school. Also, trying not to procrastinate homework until the last minute is an important time management skill.

    The adjustment to WHHS is a big one, but no matter how hard it may seem, there are always people here to help. If struggling with finding your way, most older students and security guards are willing to point you in the right direction. After all, we’ve all been in your shoes. If struggling with homework, teachers’ help nights, peer tutors and the Student Success Center are all resources there for your using.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Isabel Nissley

“There’s a lot more freedom than our old school. We had to walk in lines and we had 30 people in our class, and there were just three classes, so this is a lot bigger.” Mitchell is getting used to a new learning system as well, coming from a Montessori school.

WHHS has many resources to help you, and you can learn more about them, at http://www.walnuthillseagles.com/.