It is a very odd feeling switching from Arroyo Seco to Saugus. There are a lot of new things to worry and think about. One of these is just the sheer increase in people you have to be around daily. Most of the people you will walk past you will have no knowledge of, this is a big change if you come from Arroyo Seco since it has ½ the amount of students in Saugus. The idea that you will be having to see and meet a big new crowd of people can make some excited, some very anxious, and some a mix of both. Overall, this is a part of transferring schools that most students don’t know how to feel about, usually though most think negatively of it.
Another thing that students transferring will worry about is how people view them based on their demeanor. There are many students that feel like if they don’t act a certain way or look a certain way they will be harshly judged, while that is usually not the case. Usually students are too focused on themselves and their own friends and won’t be paying as much attention to you as you might think. Over time you will hopefully settle into your classes and you might naturally start to find people with similar interests. Maybe joining sports or clubs could help you find people easier.
There is also another problem and that is the increase in homework compared to arroyo seco. Middle school definitely had homework but the workload was usually lighter and more guided by teachers. In saugus the expectation is that you can handle a lot higher workloads and projects. Teachers in high school now tend to give you less step by step guidance and assume you can figure things out outside of class. This kind of jump in responsibility can feel overwhelming especially in the first semester when you’re still adjusting to the new environment.
At the same time, the increase in workload can help students build better habits by forcing them to figure out how to manage their time, stay organized, and study independently. Even though it can feel like a lot at first, the extra work is meant to prepare you for college or whatever comes next after graduation. Many students find their own routine and see that everything becomes more manageable. This means that it overall can be pretty stressful but also decently rewarding in the long run.
Another positive aspect of transferring to saugus is the wide variety of clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities compared to Seco. High school definitely offers a lot more options and opportunities. There is a lot of different sports teams you can attempt to join like football or basketball and it might get you to find new friends and also see if you really like or want to pursue a sport or not. Something difficult about this idea is that it will be hard for you to figure out which sport or extracurricular activity you would like to do. This is difficult because if you join a team or club you may be discontent with what you get and want to leave immediately.
A completely separate thing is the bigger campus size and how you have to figure out where everything and where you and your friend group are gonna meet up etc. Getting lost trying to get to class definitely can be normal due to the absolute size of the school and this can absolutely add stress. You can definitely tell the difference because at Seco walking to your next class took such little time. This can be extra difficult when the next class you have to go to is completely on the other side of the school. Albeit once you get used to it and find a routine within the hallways and such this won’t be a problem anymore but it is still gonna give the general feel of having a rough start to the semester.
I interviewed my friend Kane for some questions:
“How is high school treating you overall?” Very good and I love it here!!! I love my classes. All my friends have good classes and I’m all caught up with things!
“How bad is the workload at Saugus compared to Seco?” Seco sucked so bad, so much work and so much time, Saugus has not a lot but just the right amount. Saugus also is easy but I know it’s just the beginning of the year so lets hope it stays easy.
“Did you make new connections with new people/make new friends at Saugus?” Yes and no. I definitely reconnected with a lot of people but I did find a bunch of new friends that I haven’t met before.
