The Transition to Westwood

The transition from elementary to middle school was a mixed bag for a lot of people. For some, going to middle school was an exciting event, and having a new experience could be fun. But for others, going to middle school was frightening. You didn’t know the expectations, you didn’t know how to use your locker; You were on your own.

But as the days went on, we adapted and soon found out that this chapter of our life was fun. We made new friends, learned new things, and made lasting impacts. What we do in middle school can affect us for the rest of our life. But what about the path to high school?

Going to high school is a whole different story than middle school. What you do in high school can and will set your path for the rest of your life. While you could linger in middle school with a few C’s and some failing grades, what you do in high school is followed everywhere. From your GPA, to your academic success, colleges look at these things to find the brightest students. Anything you do in high school could make or break your path.

NJHS Officers are editing a video to show for the Powder Puff game.

With high school being so important, students must prepare for the challenge of getting good grades, managing their schedule to be time efficient, and to make sure they enjoy this chapter in life. For some, this is easy because they have prepared for this well, but for others, it’s a struggle. Like I said earlier, what you do in high school sets the path for your future, and while you can fix mistakes later on, it’s best to start off well rounded.

Here are 8th graders in Theater posing for a game.

All this may sound frightening to some and it is. This is a bigger step than going from elementary to middle school. To prepare for the transition to Westwood, the school has provided resources to help set your schedule and for you to succeed. Map My Grad is a program the school offered for students to find what classes they like to take and to figure out what they want to happen. This lets students plan ahead on what they want to do while putting into consideration a backup plan.

Map My Grad is a tool that the school showed to students so they could plan their future in high school.

Along with the programs, Westwood has hosted many events such as the IB Informational Meeting which has helped people chose between taking Pre-AP or IB. Our school has taken the 8th graders on a field trip to Westwood to see how school is like there, which lets the students have an idea of what to expect. Our school has also set up a meeting to talk to the counselor about your high school schedule. Things like this make the transition to Westwood much easier, as it helps students to find what they want to do.

We can keep on talking about the things that the school has done to students, but what do the students think? After all, they are the ones going to the next step in life.

Keshav Laxminarasimhan is interviewing Mr. Chewning about his job here at campus.

“I think it’s going to be a new experience, which is weird and is going to be different,” Zeyad Elchouemi (8) said. “For people, they’re going to have more freedom and experiencing new classes, which will help prep for the bigger things like college, which is more serious. The transfer is not going to be that hard, but it will be challenging for some people because things are more serious and strict. Those who like taking it for fun in middle school and think it lightly won’t do well. In high school, everything counts.”

Many other students interviewed are also excited to join Westwood, as it provides new opportunities for students. Some classes include digital media, principles of health science, AVID, and more. With Westwood being an IB school, it provides even more opportunities for students to succeed.

“I’m excited for new classes and being in a bigger school,” Darian Mantia (8) said.

Along with new classes, others are excited to meet new people from other schools. With Westwood taking students from Cedar Valley, Grisham, and more, it gives people more opportunities to meet new people. With students possibly being with the same group of people since elementary, some are happy to find new friends.

“I’m excited to go to Westwood because I get to meet new people,” Ani Gupta (8) said.

While the school has provided many resources and tools for students to plan what they want to do in high school, some don’t know if the school has done enough to help students.

“I don’t think the school has done enough to help students transition to Westwood,” Pranav Gudlavalleti said.

8th graders from Band are getting ready to practice.

While there are mixed opinions about the transition to Westwood, everyone seems to agree that it a new opportunity and gives you a new chance to shine. Unlike elementary or middle school, high school seems to be the perfect fit for almost everyone. You can easily learn new things you never knew, make tons of friends, and become a better student and person overall.

With an opportunity to go to one of the best high schools in the Austin area, us students have the privilege to go to Westwood. Our school has done everything that they can do to help prepare us for this next phase. Now it’s up to us to finish it off.