Whether it’s adjusting to longer, more demanding classes, trying to navigate your way through the seemingly endless halls, or even just finding friends, high school is a challenging period of time. Sophia Rainwater is a fourteen-year-old freshman at Heritage High School (HHS) who is currently adapting to her new school environment.
“HHS is very different from middle school. The classes are so much longer, and there’s a lot more people.” She said, “It’s been really exciting, but also difficult.”
Rainwater takes exceedingly difficult classes. She takes AP Government, Honors Geometry, Honors English, and Honors Biology. She is an extremely determined student with a great work ethic. She dreams of going to UGA for college, and works very hard to meet that goal. High school classes are both longer and more academically challenging than middle school classes, so it is a difficult adjustment.
“High school is definitely faster paced than middle school, and it’s a lot more work,” she said.
Despite the difficulty of her new schedule, Rainwater continues to thrive in her classes. She pushes herself to always persevere, no matter the situation. She truly is an exemplary kind of student that many look up too.
“I always try to do my best, and the workload has been hard, but I know I will adjust to it eventually.”
“Sophia puts herself out there and works really hard on everything,” Bella Smith, one of her best friends, said. Smith also said, “She’s just a really good student and person in general.”
On top of her academics, Rainwater does many extracurricular activities. She does track and field, specifically shot put and discus. She went undefeated last year and contributed to the eighth year in a row Heritage Middle School has won the North Georgia Athletic Contest. She is heavily involved in her girl scout troop 40180. She just recently won the silver award, one of the highest awards in girl scouts, for her project of making a pollinator garden. She is active in the community, and enjoys volunteering at her church, Battlefield Parkway Church of the Nazarene. Although she has so many things going on in her life, she still manages to find a balance between her demanding school life and extracurriculars.
“I think that extracurriculars are just as important as academics, and I try to be involved. Taking all my classes plus extracurriculars can be difficult, but it’s definitely worth it,” she said.
Heritage High School is a large school with many students; it is very possible to not have classes with any friends. Although not having friends in classes is inconvenient in some situations, it can help students make new friends. Getting out of your comfort zone is key to having a successful high school experience. High school is a time of growth, learning, and change. It is vital to be experimental and meet new people.
“It has been different without friends in my classes, but I’m glad I still get to see them at lunch,” said Rainwater.
She said, “I met some new people in my classes, and it’s been a lot better.”
“Sophia is a really good friend, and she meets people easily,” Smith said, “meeting new people and having new experiences is really enriching and introduces us to different ways of life.”
Rainwater explained how the transition from middle to high school is difficult and stressful, but it can also be an incredibly memorable and fun time in your life. High school is all about branching out and trying new things. While it may be tough to adjust to, it can eventually become some of the most special years of your life. She is looking forward to her future here at HHS.
