Every year, hundreds of ninth graders are thrown into the vast pools of high school to survive on their own. Many freshmen have questions about ways to get through the first year of high school, but as they strive to achieve excellence, the four years spent at Athens can be successful.

“The most intimidating part of freshman year will be getting used to the size of the school and the large amount of people since I came from a small middle school,” said Katherine Clapp, freshman.

Athens Drive is two floors and full of multiple hallways and classrooms, and for new students it can be difficult to navigate and find their classes when starting off the year. All room numbers that start with a one are located on the lower floor, and all classes starting with a two are on the upper floor. There are also maps of Athens that show the whole school layout that students can use to find their way around.

Freshman Carleigh Hiscock said, “I would have to say just keeping up with grades will be hard because I just feel like there’s a lot of pressure for freshman because we just finished middle school and weren’t worried about people seeing bad grades.”

Many middle schools have at least six or seven classes within a day, but that is not the case at the Drive. The educational difference is that Athens operates on a block schedule, so that each class is about an hour and half long, with each day only having four classes. Athens offers Mandatory Guided Study (MGS) and tutorial during the week for every class students are taking. Students can go in during lunch to finish homework, work on projects, make up tests, study and get help from the teacher to grasp a better understanding of the material. Going in to MGS and/or tutorial can prove to alleviate some of the stress freshman feel if they need help with certain aspects of a class.

Freshman Ian Warr said, “I am really looking forward to the sports, playing and just getting to go to games.”

Fall sports season started in August and going to games, like football and soccer, are open to all students.  Football games are usually on Friday nights, and big crowds from all grades come out to socialize, have fun, and cheer on their team.

“I’m excited about making new friends and being in the high school environment,” said Clapp.

Along with sports teams, Athens has plenty of clubs that students (from all grades) can join and participate in. Most clubs often meet once a week to once a month during the school year. Clubs and participating in sports, or just attending the games, are ways for freshman to meet new people, and even meet upperclassmen.

At Athens Drive, a successful freshman year is attainable for everyone. Athens may have a large campus, but using a map can help find routes from class to class, even if the rooms are far apart. To keep grades high and acquire more studying time, attending MGS and tutorial is an option that proves to be beneficial for many students. Also, to meet peers, Athens has numerous sporting events and clubs. Athens Drive provides freshmen with ample opportunities to have a triumphant first year in high school.