SOPHOMORE ORIENTATION: First day of school questions
By Kate Lee and Josh Kirkland,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff—
It is normal to feel nervous about the first day of high school. If you are an incoming sophomore who is worried about the first day, read on.
“I just remember feeling really small on the first day because everyone was really tall and had mustaches,” junior Miles Wong recounted. “I don’t feel as intimidated by everyone anymore… but I didn’t get much taller and I still don’t have a mustache.”
Is there anything I should do to prepare before the first day?
Go to the sophomore orientation. The sophomores will be split into small groups with several junior or senior Link Crew member leaders. It is a fun way to get to know the school better and meet new people in your grade.
“We played a bunch of bonding games and went on a tour of the campus,” junior Morgan Metler said about her own orientation.
The Link Crew members will all be wearing colorful “Link Crew” t-shirts on the first day of school, so you can go up to any of them to ask for help.
“The day before I started at DHS, I made a friend who already went there come with me to find my locker and walk through my entire schedule like five times,” junior Elsa Iverson said. “It definitely helped because I didn’t get lost my first day here.”
How can I make sure I’m not late to class?
If you drive to school, leave a few minutes earlier than you typically would because there’s often a long line just to turn into the school parking lot.
If you take the bus like junior Kailani Carlisle, be aware that you can’t always count on it getting you to school right on time.
While the campus may seem large, the bell schedule gives you six minutes to get to your next class. This is actually a lot longer than it sounds and you will have plenty of time.
DHS also has a two minute warning bell–known as the sprint bell–to let you know when it’s time to stop talking with your friends and actually head off to class.
If your locker is in a bad location relative to your classes, don’t worry. Keep an eye out for any lockers in a good location without locks on them. According to Counselor Courtney Tessler, after the first week of school students can request to switch lockers.
What should I bring on the first day?
There are the obvious supplies, like a backpack and pencils, but junior Makenna Rubinstein wanted to make sure she was completely prepared her first day of sophomore year.
“I brought normal stuff, like my schedule, new notebooks and folders and my planner, but I also decided to bring some candy, which is very important, and gum and my phone charger and chapstick… just in case I needed any of that,” Rubinstein said. “I had my school ID too, in case we checked out textbooks.”
Carlisle took a different approach than Rubinstein. “I packed light. I only brought a pencil, a notebook, my planner and my schedule. You don’t need a lot on the first day.”
Junior Brady Corcoran also recommends bringing your schedule to help you get to the right classrooms, as well as a lock for your locker.
“Take a picture of [your schedule] with your phone so you still have it even if you lose the paper. And put your locker combination in your phone or something so you don’t get locked out.”
What do I do during lunch?
Unlike the junior high schools, DHS offers an open campus lunch.
At the beginning of the year, most sophomores won’t have their licenses yet, so it’s not uncommon for them to bring bag lunches or buy cafeteria food. When they want to go out to lunch, the “Sophomore Walk” to Anderson Plaza is a popular choice.
Where do I go for help?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Link crew members will be available the whole first day of school in their Link crew t-shirts, and DHS staff members will also do their best to help you out.
You can also schedule an appointment with your counselor.
Interactive map of DHS
