We were all there once, lost, stranded, almost forgotten? Yes, everyone has that dreadful freshman year where everything is confusing and stressful. Luckily, the FMHS community is always looking for ways to help the freshmen and to help guide their transitions into high school, from the Link Crew to the staff in the auditorium in the morning.

You may have noticed close to sixty or more kids in a hallway at a time, especially in the art wing and other main transportation halls. This is a lot different from the middle schools simply because of the greater capacity of the high school. I would like to encourage our freshmen not to take this as an issue, but more as an opportunity. There are so many more people here that could be just like you! This means you could make plenty of new friends. 

Another difference from middle school would be the spirit. Compare a modified football game and a varsity football game. The student section at the varsity games is normally packed whereas there are normally few to no spectators at the modified games. Another bit of spirit you will notice the first time you even walk through the door would be a grand introduction to the school that all freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors get when they enter for their first day at the high school every year. 

Link Crew Day. This day is full of fun activities and icebreakers that you will remember throughout your high school years. Some freshmen will probably view link crew as “that one day” where you had to go to school early and sit through boring activities; however, I can assure you that even as only a sophomore, you will think back to this day with warm memories. Link Crew has many benefits: it gets you familiar with some of the upperclassmen, it helps you find your way around the school, and it helps you meet new people. This is where your class bonding experience will first start to grow. 

Now you’ve made it through the first day, good job. Next it’s time for your real first day. Today you get to meet your actual classmates. This is one of the more stressful days as you get only six minutes to make it from class to class while you’re still reading off your schedule. Now you do have other resources than just your schedule. There are teachers everywhere ready to help you find classes and you can ask anyone for directions. You probably won’t have any classwork or homework other than a few forms and syllabuses, which are good for getting a brief description about how the course will progress throughout the year. 

Now that you’re all set with the first two days, you may find yourself looking into what the high school has to offer. Compared to the middle schools, the high school has many more clubs and classes. From culture clubs to the police force, there is a club for you.  FMHS also has a wide array of electives in tech, art, music, cooking, sewing, baking, and even childcare. “I think that in general, the format of the classes are better, like there are more classes and better classes,” says freshman Aidan Burke. 

If you’d like to find out what other classes are offered at the high school, you can look at your course catalog that you were issued last year. Lost yours? No problem. The Counseling Center located outside of the library has plenty of extra copies for everyone. 

There is also the activities fair every year that all of the clubs will show up to and set up in the gym. There are lots of chances to win candy and to find some new hobbies. From fishing, to pottery, to journalism, and even archeology, there’s a club for you. 

After reading this short guide to the high school, I’d like to encourage you all to reflect on your first day of school ever and remind you that  it’s okay to be nervous. I’d like to suggest that you just breathe, ask for help when it’s needed, and enjoy your time at the high school. Welcome to Fayetteville-Manlius High School.