It’s no surprise that BCA, a challenging magnet school, can be an overwhelming environment to get used to, especially during a pandemic, when the Class of 2025 was faced with over a year of online school before being thrown back into the in-person experience. With virtual school obviously lacking the same amount of learning compared to in-person, many freshmen are coming into high school not only in a different environment but also without a physical school experience to prepare them. 

This situation has sparked some curiosity as to how well Class of ‘25 students are adjusting considering their past circumstances. A survey was sent out to the freshmen asking how they were adjusting so far—not only academically, but also in terms of socializing and sleep management. 

The overall responses were mostly positive. The first question asked students to rate how well they have adjusted to the workload at BCA. Freshmen rated their experience on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being that they struggled with adjusting and 10 being they adjusted very well, and the majority 60% of students rated their adjustment at a 7-8. 

The second question asked the ninth-graders how many hours of sleep, on average, they got each night. The recommended amount of sleep for students is 10 hours. Unfortunately, this was not going to be a response from anyone. However, students still stated they got a decent amount of sleep. 60% of freshmen said they got 6-7 hours, on average.

As important as academic and physical health is, social health is just as critical to be a successful student. The survey’s final question asked how well the ninth graders were socializing and making friends at school. This actually garnered the most positive overall response: 48% of answers ranked their experience a 9 or 10, and an additional 30% chose a 7 or 8. In person school really has made making friends easier than it was during virtual learning. 

However, it is important to acknowledge the other side of things. A couple of students responded with 1 to 3s on workload and socializing adjustments. It should be noted that sample size is important as well, as this survey shows only a portion of the entire grade. A comment box was added as well, for students to add anything extra they wanted to bring up. 

Reading days were mentioned multiple times, as one freshman notes, “The reading days really help with the workload, and most of the teachers are welcoming [to students, and understand the struggles of adjusting to school].”

On the other hand, another student commented on a specific difficult aspect of BCA: “I feel like the workload [classwork and homework] itself isn’t horrible, it’s just the sheer amount of tests and studying that is overwhelming.” 

Although the transition isn’t an easy one, the freshmen here at BCA are clearly capable and adaptable and are working hard to adjust to their new environment.