Hailey: My first day at Los Osos wasn’t easy. I knew a few people from middle school but I didn’t know them well enough to hang out with them.

I walked into school and one thing stuck out: there were hundreds of people swarming around me. First off, this school is huge. My old high school had around 400 people, meanwhile, this school has 2,867– over seven times the amount I’m used to. 

People were meeting up with their friends, comparing schedules, talking, yelling, walking, and running. It was all too much, but it helped me in a way. 

I was so nervous and it was nice to know I wasn’t too visible, everyone was too busy with themselves or their friends to look at me or care about what I was doing. It was so hard finding classes, however. Luckily, they are all coupled into two buildings, but every building has up to 77 classrooms and four different hallways. 

Thankfully, there were teachers outside of their classes guiding students to where they needed to be, and seeking their advice really helped me. After that, it was up to me to memorize where my classes were. Unfortunately, in all of my classes, people already had friends; I was sitting in chairs surrounded by people socializing and felt very alone. 

 Later, It was time for lunch. Tons of people were rushing to eat. There were 8 lunch lines and 10 different options. Lunch is half an hour, and I stood in the lunch line for half of it. There were so many places to sit. The outside area of the school was open for people to eat, talk with their friends, and chill. 

Still, my Canvas account for turning in work and checking grades wasn’t working until the second week of school, and I had already missed a few assignments. My teachers were understanding since many accounts weren’t working. 

Eventually, I made a few friends by bonding over similar interests and talking about our first day, our teachers, and our classes.  

Every problem I had felt overwhelming, but as I started feeling more comfortable, my stress eased. I would say my first day of school went well. 

Aniah: My first day as a new student coming into school with two weeks already gone by was a little difficult to navigate. 

It went by in a blur.

There was a lot of information being thrown at me and I was struggling to retain it, such as where to get my Chromebook, textbooks, how to set up my canvas account, and trying to adjust my schedule. However, navigating through the crowds of students proved to be easier than expected. I somehow managed to remember where my classes were, which was a relief.

I met a few cool people that made my first day easier to deal with. They gave me a tour of the school and some helped me get situated into my classes, which I’m so grateful for. 

Thankfully, some of the teachers were helpful and had no problem getting me situated in class and helping me catch up, telling me which assignments I should and didn’t have to do, telling me about the upcoming quizzes and tests and whether or not I would have to take them. The teachers, my counselor, and the students have been overall very understanding and welcoming. From the first day I already knew which classes were going to be my favorite and which classes were going to make time seem endless.

Although trying to learn the teachers’ names and getting used to a new school atmosphere hasn’t been easy, it is manageable. 

My experience so far has been a pleasant one as I’m learning more about the different activities and clubs to join. 

I know there is Club Rush coming up which I will be attending to learn more about the different activities our campus offers and find more ways to be involved with the school. For any new students, my advice is not to be afraid to ask questions and put yourself out there because if you don’t speak up, you won’t get the full experience of what the school has to give to their students.