Picture this: a horde of wide-eyed freshmen, maps clutched in their sweaty palms, wandering the halls of our school. They’re turning maps upside down, squinting at room numbers, and asking upperclassmen, “Is this the way to the chemistry lab?” (Spoiler alert: it’s not, and they’re actually in the English hall.)
“The most confusing thing was that there’s too many hallways and staircases that were not labeled,” freshmen Elizabeth Tsai said.
Yet, not all freshmen feel completely overwhelmed.
“I didn’t really feel lost, because there were teachers around that helped me find my way, and by the third week I got the hang of where my classes were,” freshmen Tabarek Abdulrahman said.
It’s that time of the year when campus becomes a real-life version of “Where’s Waldo?” except it’s “Where’s My Class?” But as amusing as this annual freshman fumble may be, it brings to mind a more sobering parallel: seniors, who find themselves in a similar state of confusion, although on a much grander scale. The lighthearted struggle of locating a classroom pales in comparison to the weighty challenge of charting a course for life after graduation.
“The biggest challenge in planning for life after graduation is finding out what to do when high school is over, what college I will go to and what path I want to take for the rest of my career,” senior Noah Perez said.
Just as some freshmen arrive late to class, some seniors feel behind in their career planning, watching anxiously as peers secure job offers or graduate school acceptances. Others, like the early birds to class, may feel they’ve peaked too soon, having locked into a career path they’re no longer sure suits them.
“I would tell my freshman self to not overthink and realize that there are so many people to meet, clubs to join, and staff on campus to help grow me as an individual and expand my social circle without any worries,” senior Isabella Medrado said.
The maps that freshmen clutch are concrete, with clear pathways and destinations. But for seniors, the map to their future is often frustratingly abstract. There are no clearly marked routes, no “You Are Here” indicators, and certainly no guarantee that the path chosen leads to the desired destination.
Yet, there’s a silver lining to this shared experience of feeling lost. It reminds us that uncertainty is a natural part of growth, whether you’re 15 or 18. Freshmen will soon master the campus layout, just as seniors will gradually gain clarity about their future directions.
Huiling Chen, a freshman, describes her experience as a road of twists and turns because there are so many obstacles that come your way from every direction, but you make it through somehow.
Mitchell Koenig, a senior, concises his transformation as “an unambitious start with a motivated finish.”
In the end, whether you’re searching for your algebra class or your life’s calling, remember: it’s okay to feel lost sometimes. So to our freshmen, don’t worry, you’ll find your classrooms eventually. And to our seniors, take heart, your path will become clearer with time and effort. After all, life, like our campus, is full of twists and turns, and that’s what makes the journey exciting.
