Ideally, for most students, their first day of high school would be as freshmen, But unfortunately, the class of 2024’s first day was in front of a computer screen. As a result of COVID-19, I unfortunately started high school virtually, and as a result, I was not able to get a true feel of high school and all it had to offer. Once I finally returned to in-person schooling, I learned this school lacked many of the programs they had acclaimed to have. So, I had to make the sacrifice and leave my friends to attend a high school that met my needs. So, I began my junior year at a new school. As I found my classrooms, I would walk in, greet my teachers, and immediately observe my surroundings. Being a quiet, reserved student enabled me to focus on intricate details, such as the design and setup of the classroom, as well as discourse between my peers, teachers, etc. For the typical freshman, you would enter your classes knowing some of your peers, and you may make friends. The benefit of this experience is that most freshmen students have the same experiences. These feelings of anxiousness and not knowing what’s to come make up the freshman experience. By your junior year, most social groups have been formed and routines are common practice, and this made it where the situation I was in wasn’t relatable to my fellow Juniors. This left me with two choices: rebuild my friends and social networks or be a student in solitude for the rest of high school. The irony of this situation was that growing up, in almost every social network that I was a part of, I would never go out of my way to interact with other people. I always limited my interactions and remained socially distant. These habits sufficed for as long as I can remember, even when I was previously the new kid at a school going into my sophomore year. The memories of that year hit me especially hard when I went from having many friends to not speaking to anyone for entire school days. I often found myself comparing the fun my friends were having to my experiences of loneliness and solitude. Even in writing this essay, I tended to focus on the negatives of the school, and I overlooked the potential benefits of the school. I realized that I was wallowing in my self-pity and not taking the initiative to solve my problems. As I let my guard down, I found that I began to have conversations with other students when I was not focused on it. This occurred naturally and effortlessly and eventually, I developed a few meaningful friendships. From this experience I believe it has better prepared me for college and my chosen career in how to adjust and pivot in unfamiliar and uncomfortable settings. There will always be situations where I will engage with people who I won’t know, from students to coworkers, however having had the awkward experience in high school, it will be a constant reminder that this too shall pass and I will survive.