Attending High School in the United States: A Journey to Adulthood
The day that a youngster starts high school in the United States is a day that marks the beginning of a journey to adulthood that will be measured by many milestones. It’s an exciting time of life, however stressful too, and a lot of adults today say they would never want to go back and do it again!
A ninth-grader in high school is called a freshman, and being the new kids on the block, there’s usually a bit of razzing from the older high school students. High school itself is a big change too, as suddenly the students must change classrooms every time a bell rings, and have a specific teacher for each subject instead of one teacher for all subjects in one classroom. Although middle school is designed to help pave the way for high school, many freshmen still find the new way of doing things very stressful.
High school is more exciting than the other grade levels because now the students get to take elective classes in addition to their core curriculum coursework. Being able to spend an hour of the day in a shop class or an automotive class is a welcome change from the rest of the grind. Lunch becomes more interesting too, as high school students are given more freedom than before, and some schools even allow them to go off-campus for lunch.
In tenth grade, most sophomore students begin driving and by the end of the year have attained their driver’s licenses. This is a huge milestone for most teens, and being able to drive themselves to school instead of riding the bus is a status symbol of sorts.
Eleventh grade brings junior prom as well as the SAT and ACT tests, which measure students’ readiness for college. In twelfth grade, senior students who have not yet taken the SAT or ACT tests, or who need to re-take them due to low scores, must sit for them in order to be accepted into college. Senior prom is a big night too for the soon-to-be graduates, and a lot of time is spent deciding what college to go to and getting the financial end of college worked out.
Upon graduation, young adults can look back on their high school days and feel like they flew by as each milestone was passed. Yet these students are only beginning their lives; whether college-bound or heading out to begin working for a living, adulthood is now upon them.