High school is a time when students are figuring out what they enjoy, whether it be friend groups or hobbies. By senior year, students already know the people they want to be around and know what kind of person they are. However, when you change schools, all this could be disrupted. Your friends won’t be the same, and your interests may change based on what they offer at your new school.
Making friends in high school is more complicated than in elementary and middle school. Everyone is going through a point in life where they have a friend group and that seems like their forever friends, so when a new student comes in, it may be hard for them to find where they fit in. Friendships mean a lot when you are in high school, and it is hard to leave your friends at your old school and try to make new ones. In some cases, switching schools could help a student gain friends. Some students who have experienced bullying may have switched schools to make new friends. Coral Glades senior Amadeus Aliberti says, “Coming to Glades was very different at first just because of the A and B days. I used to have seven 50-minute periods in a day. I adjusted pretty quickly because I made friends easily, and most people were nice.”
Students may also need a change of scenery. Sometimes a student could have a great social life, but the teachers, programs, and school campus may not appeal to the student. A lot of students switched schools for the betterment of their education. Different schools have different programs that a student may be interested in. For example, a law program may appeal to a student who wishes to pursue law in college. Some students may switch schools for sports, and many students will go to a different school for their sports season and then go to another school for the rest of the school year. Sophomore at Coral Glades Joshua Diaz says, “I transferred because I wanted to play football at Glades, and it is a way better school than Taravella.”
Moving schools in the middle of the year could be harmful to the student’s education. Classes have already started, and students who have been there the entire year understand the flow of the class and how the teacher is, putting new students at a disadvantage. New students will have less time to figure out the operations of the class. For classes that have a big exam at the end of the year, students switching into the class close to the time of the test will not be fully prepared compared to those who have had a full year to learn and study.
