As the summer comes to a close and students at Lexington Public Schools transition into the new academic year, the members of Lexington High School’s class of 2023 are preparing to move on to their next chapter.
Having spent four years participating in a variety of classes, clubs, and extracurricular activities at LHS while surviving a global pandemic during their early high school years, these graduates have plenty of advice for younger students who are just beginning high school.
One such graduate is Laya Ananthakrishnan, a rising freshman at the University of Connecticut. Ananthakrishnan views her time at LHS as a teaching moment, both intellectually and socially.
“Either I would learn in my academic classes, or I’d be learning about how to interact in a social setting or what it means to be part of the extracurriculars I was a part of,” Ananthakrishnan said.
Many students find LHS’ clubs to be a useful outlet to make connections with people from different grades and backgrounds. Ananthakrishnan specifically pursued Model UN and a cappella.
Overall, Ananthakrishnan believes it is important to have the right mindset when entering LHS.
“Having an open mind to meeting new people, even if you’re coming into high school with friends that you’ve had since middle school, will really help because you will then be able to make more friends and connections,” Ananthakrishnan said.
LHS graduates also advise new students to not feel alone with regard to academic achievement.
Pavitra Balachundhar, a rising freshman at Harvard University, found that although the material in her freshman year classes initially felt quite abstract and many students had prior knowledge in the subject, there were a lot of resources to help her thrive.
“It can sometimes feel like an isolating experience. But realistically, we’re all in the same boat, and it’s okay to ask for help from these kids. You’re not admitting defeat, in that sense,” Balachundhar said.
Balachundhar discovered that the LHS curriculum also offers students lots of room for exploration as well. Some of her favorite classes were the optional electives that she signed up for.
“It’s hard to say that you feel strongly about every subject, but even in the ones that you don’t feel strongly about, the expectation is that you kind of are putting all of yourself into it. So when I got to really delve into topics of my choice, I was really interested in the subjects we were learning,” Balachundhar said.
As the academic and social pressures can be difficult to overcome in high school, Balachundhar believes that to navigate the LHS environment, it is important for freshmen to prioritize their happiness.
“You really can’t win them all… but you have to remember the small gifts, the small rewards, like ‘even though this may not be perfect, I learned something new,’” Balachundhar said.
She also believes that despite its challenges, high school allows students to grow and succeed.
“You are going to flourish in many ways that you would never expect. So just be open to that, and just be excited to figure out who you are as a human being,” Balachundhar said.
