Starting high school is an overwhelming experience for any teenager. Whether you are coming from a middle school (grades six through eight) or a junior high school (grades seven through nine), there are many things about high school that are different from your old school environment, and you will experience many changes.

You will face navigating a new school, making new friends in an unfamiliar class and getting to know new teachers. These new teachers will usually have higher academic expectations than your middle and junior-high school teachers. They want to help you get into college; in return, they expect you to work hard and improve your skills. On top of all this, peer pressure to do drugs and alcohol and have sex often increases in high school.

Although these are all big changes, they are nothing you cannot handle. There are many different resources available to help you deal with any problems. Your teachers, counselors, doctors, parents and friends are there to help you transition into this great new time in your life. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to any of these people, there are many help hotlines you can call to talk anonymously. High school may be a time of change, but these changes should be for the better.

Your high school years are a great time in your life. You will gain new freedoms and have new experiences and new responsibilities. Many high school students get their drivers license when they turn 16 and gain a new type of independence.

However, other changes are less fun. To fully enjoy your high school experience, try to address the aspects of your life with which you are not happy. If you are feeling pressure to do something you feel is wrong, talk to a friend, parent or counselor to find a solution. If you are not succeeding academically, find a tutor or someone to help you improve. If you feel isolated socially, try to join a school club or group to make new friends.

High school may seem rather daunting at first, but with time, you will come to appreciate everything about your experience. High school student Virginia Phelps has included an account of her first days in high school below to give you a personal perspective of one student’s experiences and challenges.

Stories by teens about high school