“One School, Two Campuses.” Our school’s motto represents the Taft Freshman Academy, home to the 7th through 9th graders, and the Varsity Campus for the Taft sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The new year means sophomores who were freshmen walk into a new building. This change can be difficult as most high schools are for all four high school grade levels.
Taft sophomore Samantha Bravo said, “It can be a mix of excitement and nerves being in a new campus, meeting new people, and exploring new classes.”
For a few sophomores, the switch from the TFA to the Varsity campus was like going to a new school with more students and new classroom obstacles. Moreover, some sophomores have trouble adjusting when it is their first day. However, they get the hang of it pretty quickly.
There are challenges in a school of over 4,000 students (3 times the number of students at the TFA) such as getting to class on time due to overcrowded hallways, finding certain classrooms, knowing where counselors and other mentors are located, and making friends.
Some sophomores prefer TFA rather than the Varsity campus because, “It is way smaller, easier to find classes, and there are less people,” stated Taft sophomore Mariah Reyes.
Coming to a new bigger building with a bigger crowd is an exciting but intimidating process. It can be a big change for some but most manage to adjust to the change and with the welcoming community and other helpful resources, any sophomore or upperclassmen who is struggling to adjust can go to these groups of people for help.
