Despite the fact that I come from a military family, I was fortunate enough to have lived in Hawaii for 12 years. In the summer of 2015, we moved from the middle of the Pacific (Hawaii) to the South East of the United States. In case you don’t know, there are major differences between the regions of the United States so this was a pretty big change for me.
In addition, many people claimed that Hawaii’s education system did not live up to the mainland’s education system; in my personal experience, this is not entirely true. I felt as if I went against all odds when I moved to three different schools. Here is my story on my experience of moving to three different schools.
Freshman Year
While in my freshman year of high school in Hawaii, I was an active member of the student body; I was a cheerleader and class president! Freshman year is when you’re still soul-searching and still unsure of the type of person you are. I was lucky enough to have a big support system full of trustworthy friends that I counted on every day. My freshman year was also the year I said goodbye to the islands of Hawaii and said hello to the mainland.
Sophomore Year
A stressful summer of unpacking has passed and school had started. You know that feeling in your gut when something good is going to happen? I had that feeling the first quarter of the school year. I joined Anchor Club (a community service club) and Math Honor Society (I dropped cheer and student council because I was too late to join); I also made two good friends that I hung out with and talked to everyday. It seems like I had a decent school year since I joined extracurricular activities and made friends. That was actually not the case. It took me a long time to adjust to a new set of people (who didn’t share the “aloha” spirit that I was so accustomed to); however, I never struggled too much on my academics (beat that, anti-Hawaii education system people!). Towards my second semester, I decided to apply for a “pre-med program/magnet school in my district. This was a confusing time because it seemed illogical to leave behind the new friends I had made and the clubs that I joined. I pushed aside whatever thoughts and opinions other people had and went ahead with the application.
Junior Year
Now, we arrive to junior year; many claim that junior year is the hardest and with just five weeks into the school year, I totally agree with those people. I now attend a different, third high school. In order to attend this school, students must send in an application that is carefully reviewed and chosen by a group of administration and teachers. I happen to be 1 out of 100+ applicants for the pre-med major. Since this is a school you must apply to, students here are more cautious about their education and are even nicer than students from my second high school. Applying to this new school was the best decision I’ve made since moving to the South East. I still have an entire semester to go, but I know that with a great start of a school year, there will definitely be a great end.
What About You?
Moving to a new school is a different experience for everybody. Whether you’re a freshman or senior, you should make each year of high school count. If you’re having trouble adjusting to your new environment, then try to join clubs (especially ones that you’re passionate about). You would definitely meet new people faster and hopefully some of the new people you meet have the same interests as you! Also, get to know your guidance counselor; their job is to help you throughout high school so getting to know your counselor would be a great idea. Getting yourself involved in your new school will give you an overall better high school experience.
To Wrap It All Up..
Speaking from experience, moving to a new school is definitely scary; but when you move to three schools, you definitely learn some tricks along the way that’ll help you. If you’re thinking about applying to a program that’ll help you and your future, think it over and look for the pros and cons of joining the program. If you’re a new student this school year, then don’t worry, just being able to have the experience of moving is going to help you when you transition into college. Good luck!
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