By Felicia Ho (V)

Transitioning into high school is a lot like walking into a dim sum restaurant. Sometimes you hear great ‘reviews’ of high school, sometimes you only hear about the huge amount of pressure during high school. However, you never know until you truly experience it yourself.

In a dim sum restaurant, like the one I go to with my family, you are greeted by an eager old woman who whips out a red stamp maker and a pen and begins to list what she brings to the table from an overflowing cart.

“Over here we have some chew beef tripe, fresh from the kitchen,” she says. “And here are some soup dumplings and noodle rolls, and some shu mai! Finally over here we’ve got some filling tofu soup.”

Her auctioning descriptions finished, she impatiently clicks her pen and waits for your answer. So what would you like? she wants to know, already ready to move on to the next table.

Ninth grade can feel exactly like that.

At first, it seems overwhelming: suddenly, teachers aren’t holding your hand anymore, and your friends seem to be so competitive. Just like the servers at a dim sum restaurant, more and more people seem to be impatient. Each teacher expects you to treat his or her class as your focus, and thus they pile work onto you, yet you still have to make time for hanging out with friends.

Although it may be hard at first, my suggestion is that you try to look beyond the pressure in high school. In other words, think beyond what the servers at the Pingry high school dim sum restaurant may think of you.

Think about what’s on the cart, instead.

Beckoning to you are tons of clubs, striving to get your attention and attract more members. Some are science-related, such as Anatomy Club or Journal Club, while others are more humanities-focused, such as Toastmasters or the Pingry Record. On other plates sit other clubs related to Community Service or environmental issues, and still more clubs revolve around the idea of exploring different hobbies and interests, such as debate or astronomy.

With so much to choose from, how do you decide?

It’s freshmen year, so just go for it!

Just like in a dim sum restaurant, what may sound gross at first, like the steamed beef tripe (cow stomach), might actually turn out to be great (steamed beef tripe is one of my personal favorites)! Once you’ve got a great selection in freshmen year, you can start developing which clubs are your favorites – which ‘dishes’ do you always come back to every day you walk through the doors of the school? Throughout your four years in high school, you’ll become the expert on these dishes, and you will grow to be a frequent customer of this dim sum restaurant. You will become an expert on the culinary delights of high school.

Don’t worry. You won’t be alone! Although some teachers, just like some servers in the dim sum restaurant, will set seemingly impossible deadlines, others will become your support base throughout your high school career. Your friends and family are also a part of this group, and when you’re not sure what order to make, don’t be afraid to ask for their opinion; they’ll be glad to help.