The Old and The New: First Day of School!

By Annabelle Fan  

The shuffle of footsteps and the opening of lockers echoed through the hallways. The chatter of students complaining about how it was too early for them, how their summers went, and how long they hadn’t seen someone. The melody of students re-entering a familiar site rose to a crescendo as more cars rolled through the Dalat front gates on August 7, 2024. 

For seniors, the first day of school brings mixed feelings, from the excitement of beginning a new year to the bittersweet feeling of entering their last year of high school. 

“I dreaded coming back to school because it meant I had to actually leave my house. The only thing keeping me going is knowing that I get to come back home as soon as the clock strikes at 3.10,” said Liv Gohan (12) - a reluctant returning student.  

As years pass, “first days” may no longer hold a special place for some students. However, current senior Sandy Choi (12) said, “Coming in as a senior, it felt surreal to wear a red shirt instead of the usual HS uniform. The fact that this was the last year of high school felt weird. However, I was also excited to go out for lunch and enjoy the Senior privileges that we’ll get. So far, I’ve enjoyed being a Senior, and I’m just really excited for Sneak!” 

As seniors enter the new year, they come in with new, contrasting perspectives to the last “first day” they would experience at Dalat. 

On the contrary, the newest 9th graders exhibit hints of nervousness and thrill as they step foot into the next chapter of their lives, from 8th graders to freshmen who face new responsibilities and the daunting thought of college. Evangeline Fan (9) stated, “It felt like stepping into a completely new area despite it being the same school, and I felt very uneasy as to what is to come.” 

Many freshmen felt the same way coming into high school. “I felt extremely nervous but also excited to finally be in High School. I think that the only reason I looked forward to it was because of my friends, but other than that, I was super scared. I knew there would be a lot of homework and was intimidated by the fact that grades really mattered now,” Kyra Lim (9) expressed. Advancing from middle school is no small feat; it takes courage.  

Though we are already ending our third week of school, these three weeks have progressed differently for students. Some seniors have already begun to feel the senioritis creeping up behind them; some feel like they have already been through an entire semester, and some are still basking in the goodness of enjoying their current school life. However, as we drift further away from the beginning of the semester, students slowly become accustomed to the familiar pace of school, leaving the 2024 summer as pure memories.