The Beginning: Class of 2029

Elijah Brown, Writer | March 17, 2026

Stack of books infant of a blackboard - Photo Courtesy of Associated Press

While some students are getting ready to start their adulthood, others are adjusting to their teenage years. The purpose of this article is to get the perspective of the latter group of students. To do this, I asked two ninth grade Carson High School students four different questions.

The first question asked was if high school was what they had expected:

Carson High School freshman Sydney Cones-Cano answered, “No, it’s a lot easier and more fun than I thought.”

The response of Carson High School freshman Daniel Ortega was, “It’s more of the same from middle school. I expected high school to be very hard. It’s fine right now. As the years go on, it might be more [difficult].”

They were also asked if they missed middle school:

Sydney said, “No. I like the fact that high school is a lot of people you don’t know. Middle school is a lot of people you grew up with.”

Daniel responded, “Not really. I feel like middle school is a lot more like walking on glass. High school is more relaxed. So, no, I don’t miss middle school at all.”

The third question asked to them was what their hopes were for high school:

Sydney had answered with, “I want to have a 4.0 or above and I want to do something that stands out. After high school, I want to go to an Ivy League. I want to stand out.”

Daniel’s response was, “I’m still kind of getting to know what I want to do with my time. I want to accomplish something. When I think of achievements, I think of more figuring out what I want to do.”

Lastly, they were asked if they had any advice for seniors. Despite being only ninth graders, they were quite insightful:

Sydney’s advice was, “Reach for the skies but also be sure to know that sometimes you have to do less to achieve more.”

Daniel advised, “If you’re a senior, you shouldn’t be too worried about your life. You still have a good 60 years. Everyone is always like, ‘Go to a good college, get a good job,’ and those are important too, but make sure you still have time for things you want to do.”

Everyone is different and the high school journey is unique. Both of the freshmen interviewed had different goals and different advice. Sydney is ambitious while Daniel is still figuring himself out. Despite these key differences, both are glad to be high schoolers.

Even though they are only freshmen, their advice is something that everyone could afford to live by. Be the best you can be, but know that sometimes small things go a long way, and make sure that you have time for yourself. It can only be hoped that they follow their own advice as they grow and change throughout their high school years.