In the fall of 2023, a group of about 175 students joined Ludlow High School as incoming freshmen. For everyone, this was an important change in our lives. A bigger school, a bigger student body, and back to being the youngest students in the building. But for me, this change was bigger than most; it was my transition from private to public school.

For my entire youth education (preschool to 8th grade), I attended St. John the Baptist School in Ludlow. Considering that my 8th grade class had a total of 14 students, the jump to high school seemed unimaginable. Going to St. John’s was all I had ever known. The bigger classes, more students, and extremely different school environment seemed beyond intimidating. And I’ll admit – I was very nervous. I didn’t know if I’d make friends, be able to handle classes and workload, and enjoy my time in high school. The ending of my time at private school felt like the closing of a chapter, but it was very difficult to leave behind what felt like my entire childhood, especially when the future of high school felt unknown. This is a challenge and fear that every student moving from private to public school faces each year.

Although this challenge can feel overwhelming and nerve-racking at times, success is not nearly impossible; in fact, St. John’s lays down a great foundation for succeeding in high school. As freshman English teacher Mrs. Masse recommends, students should “Take the respect and discipline” that private school emphasizes, and that “I wish they wouldn’t lose that when they arrive at public school. As Mrs. Masse said, I believe that St. John’s emphasizes the importance of discipline, respect, and rigor over just looking at grades on a paper. Furthermore, as far as academics, Masse emphasized that she “Rarely sees much difference” between the habits and writing skills of public vs. private school students. The one writing habit she pointed out was, “St. John’s kids perhaps study more grammar”. While Masse emphasized that academically there is not much difference between private and public school students, she added, “I think all students, private and public, need more rigor in their school day”, and that “There is too much sitting around in many classrooms”. Her message to incoming private school students was an overall emphasis on hard work, discipline, and carrying habits that they learned at St. John’s with them into high school.

Additionally, I interviewed Mrs. Gaj, a 7th and 8th grade teacher at St. John’s who teaches English and history. As a previous student of hers, I can attest to how well she prepares students for high school by putting emphasis on positive habits such as working hard, doing your work on time, and preparing yourself for tests and quizzes. When asked about what she thinks are the biggest differences between private and public school, she said with a laugh, “Everything”. She further explained, “The workload in high school is more… and certainly larger class sizes”. She also added what she hopes her students take with them in order to succeed, saying, “The responsibility that we try to instill here, the time management, and the work ethic… but also remember that they are loved and that they have a good base here”. As someone who made the adjustment from private to public high school, I can confirm that I agree with everything that she said about taking the responsibility and work ethic taught to you in younger grades into high school, and how doing that will create success. Ultimately, Mrs. Gaj gave the advice to her graduating students to take with them the foundation St. John’s creates, and that hard work and a compassionate personality will ultimately lead to their overall success in high school.

Finally, I interviewed Riley Morais, a former and current classmate of mine, as well as a St. John’s graduate. I was interested in hearing a different perspective on the adjustment into high school. When I asked Riley about what the biggest challenges she faced coming into LHS, she responded, “The change in environment. Transitioning from a small Catholic school where I knew everybody my whole life from a huge high school where I knew almost no one, was really difficult and overwhelming. This was especially difficult as someone who kept to themselves and didn’t play any sports or out of school activities”. As Riley said, the adjustment from a tiny private school to a big high school is challenging; there are many differences between the two, such as class sizes, student-to-teacher ratio, and the overall way classes are taught. Furthermore, Riley explained that “At SJB, every student knows each other and students in the same grade are with each other and have the same classes every year until they make the transfer to high school… At LHS, however, classes are constantly changing; it is very rare that the same students will end up in the same class”.

This change in environment can seem overwhelming at first, but ultimately, I believe these changes are necessary in teaching students from St. John’s to branch out, work with kids they may not know, and adjust to high school. Finally, when I asked Riley what her advice to incoming freshmen is, she said, “Get involved. Join a club, play a sport, or maybe pick an elective that you’ve always wanted to try but were never given the chance to. There are so many opportunities offered in high school that SJB never had the resources to provide. It’s easy to keep to yourself in a place where you don’t know anyone, but that’s what makes it even more important to put yourself out there, try new things, and meet new people. Becoming more active in freshman year will set up an even greater sophomore, junior, and senior year”. Ultimately, I believe Riley explained it perfectly. The importance of acknowledging and embracing the change in environment and getting involved is huge in making high school enjoyable and being successful. Furthermore, although there are some big changes in the adjustment process, they are not nearly impossible to overcome and make you a better student and person overall.

Although the adjustment process from a tiny, private school to a large, intimidating high school can be very scary and overwhelming, it is very possible to find success and enjoy your time. Ultimately, I believe that St. John’s sets a great foundation for succeeding in high school and prepares students for lots of success both in the classroom and beyond. However, it is important to make the adjustment to high school at some point because it is key in a young adult’s development and forces students to branch out and make changes, all of which help them grow and are very beneficial. Overall, my advice to anyone who is scared to make the adjustment to high school, especially when coming from private school, is to get involved, find a good group of peers to call your friends, and work hard. St. John’s lays a good start for success in higher grades, and I would advise that students take advantage of what they learned and bring it with them into high school.