Change is not as straightforward as a simple definition.

Change can be a scary, unexpected, positive, negative, deceiving or relieving hot mess. It builds adaptability, resilience and brings opportunity as well as heartbreak. It makes people feel like things are out of their control. Change can seem like an increasingly heavy weight to carry.

As Hericlitus famously said, “the only constant in life is change.”

This definitely rings true for high school students of all ages.

Some believe that change encourages growth and, despite being uncomfortable, is an inevitable part of life. A fear of change can eliminate the opportunity for something amazing, but accepting it may open the doors of potential.

Changing Grades, Schools, Moving Up

Moving up in grades can be a change. The transition from 8th grade to 9th (middle school to high school) is a big change that can feel overwhelming at first.

At the Community School of Davidson (CSD) middle school, the saying is “where’s my locker?” but in high school it becomes “what class do I have next and where is it?” Dealing with a bigger building, more homework each night and balancing after school activities with advancing classes can be a lot to handle. What starts as finding a locker becomes building a life.

In 9th grade, there are also more core required and elective classes in comparison to middle school, and it can be hard to keep track of the homework for every class. The work also feels more complicated, because it might be confusing at first to understand the different high school subjects.

According to the National Library of Medicine, “the transition from middle school to high school is a very important developmental period to investigate because of the negative impact that it has on youths’ academics.”

One of the biggest changes in a high school student’s life is becoming a senior. Reaching that final year may feel overwhelming, but some of the changes that take place around this time are good; a spot in the parking lot, front row views at football games, recognition in sports, preferred class selection, etc.

However, relatively early into the year, the workload shifts to college applications and eventually, senioritis sets in and friend groups adjust as people decide where they’re headed and what they’re prioritizing. The year holds many ever-changing events.

Also during senior year, change comes in the form of the transition that occurs as one moves from being a child to an adult. Moving in the direction of going from being a child dependent on their parents to being in charge of their own lives is a major change for students. Going through this is no small task, it requires bravery and motivation. Dealing with the change of becoming an adult pairs freedom with new, scary challenges.

For some students, change occurs in even bigger ways, like switching schools mid-high school or even during senior year.

“Switching schools senior year of high school is more common than you may think, A different environment with new teachers, friends and people takes a long time to get used to,” CSD student, Mia Kirsch (‘25), said. “And just when it seems like you are adjusted to this new environment, it’s time for college. That sense of ‘last year of normalcy’ is taken away. Switching schools senior year can also impact college applications, going to a new school means you have to get to know your teachers quickly for teacher recommendation letters.”

Experiences like this prove that change can be a good thing, and has the potential to move students to bigger and better places in high school.

A study done by CollegeData concluded that 47% of 2024 high school graduates say that applying to college is the most stressful part of senior year. However, the multiple paths that students take throughout their high school careers all lead to the final change, graduation.

Friends Come and Go

Remember those friends from many years ago? The data says change has a big impact on keeping those relationships together.

According to The Epic, “only one percent of friendships formed in seventh grade last until twelfth grade.” Why do 99% of friendships grow apart from middle school to high school? Can students control it, or are those losses just destiny?

It’s important to note that while a vast majority of friendships fade during high school, Pew Research says that 98% of teens report having one or more close friends. This suggests that loss of individual friends may not mean losing connection, it could mean that students are growing out of friendships that don’t work anymore and making friends that better fit their values.

Making way for new friendships can help students feel a little bit more optimistic about one aspect of their ever-changing four years.

Changes on the Playing Field

CSD athletes have experienced lots of change over the last couple of years. Before the addition of the newly opened Spartan Park athletic complex, outdoor sports had to change locations even for home games. Depending on availability, spring sport teams like baseball played home games at multiple different fields, sometimes more than a half an hour away from each other.

Not knowing about or stressing over where they are going to play may cause athletes to perform worse than they had expected. Athletes enjoy having a permanent place to play, because they believe that jumping from field to field can be tough.

However, the new facility has finally given athletes their own place to call “home” for the foreseeable future.

Current CSD seniors Alex Dubois and Owen Hamilton feel that this has been beneficial to student turnout and added a personal aspect to their last season on the soccer team.

“The point of having a home field is that you can bring more people to your field and have more fans show up, and everyone enjoys the experience of having their own field,” Alex Dubois (‘25) said. “Meanwhile, if you are at different fields every game and practice it feels like you are still at an away game even though you’re technically at home,”

Owen Hamilton now feels like that feeling of uncertainty from switching fields is gone, which has helped strengthen both athlete and team bonding.

“Home field advantage makes a big difference. Like having that place where you are comfortable and having an environment where you know. It’s your people supporting you and where you’ve put all the hard work and makes you always play better in a way than just jumping around from field to field,” Owen Hamilton (‘25) said.

Arts and Technology Foster Creative Change

In some respects change can be a positive catalyst, especially in the creative community. CSD’s art students experience change every year through the changing themes of Winter Arts Night, the school wide event which allows students to highlight their artworks and the efforts they have made throughout the first half of  the school year.

Different themes catalyze different learning. In 2021, the theme was Transformation, 2022 was Scavenger, 2023 was Living in Nature and 2024 was Under the Surface. By varying themes, many different interpretations and ideas surfaced which allowed many students to unleash their creative freedom.

The rapid advancement of technology is constantly reshaping how high school students learn, interact with one another and even get distracted.

Technology in the classroom can simplify otherwise complex processes for teachers.

“Smart boards s are so much better than regular old whiteboards. I’ll use Dr. Neale’s room as an example,” Logan DuBois (‘25) said. “He can pull up Khan Academy questions right on the board whereas with a whiteboard he’d have to copy the whole problem down. They just make the process easier for both teachers and students.”

While technology advances some school procedures, other equipment may lag behind.

“Our chromebooks are so slow. It’s stupid that my computer at home works like that,” Braden Burton (‘26) said, snapping his fingers, “but our chromebooks work like toasters.”

Personal Changes Happen

With change happening all around the school, the studio and even the playing field it’s important to keep in mind that change happens on a personal level, too.

Every year the sports seasons end, but as a senior it ends for good. That permanent ending can be difficult to process.

Beyond academics, friends and sports, there is even more change. It’s the kind of personal change that nobody discusses, it feels deeper than what some people glorify senior year to be. A senior who thought being an “adult” seemed so far away ends up thinking of it a little more when it’s actively happening. People start envisioning the person they want to become, the career they want to work and the life they want to lead when everything is in their control.

The way a student presents themselves in college applications can determine what the next chapter of their life holds. Every class, grade and extracurricular activity is seemingly working towards the common goal of receiving that confetti-filled “accepted” screen.

Classifying and Understanding Change

Understanding change can have a big impact on how students grow, advance, mature and succeed.

An article by Harvard Business Review characterizes people’s coping methods with change under three types: receivers, resistors and controllers.

Receivers take in the change that they experience and go the new direction even when it may feel overwhelming.

Resistors are true to their title and tend to push back against change in an effort to maintain their current lifestyle.

Finally, controllers take charge of this change and try to manage and stabilize events as they occur.

By identifying the most applicable and appropriate of these three change mindsets, students can more effectively learn how to adapt as change inevitably happens.

No matter whether a student is a receiver, resistor or controller, it’s important to remember that change is a constant. Everyone copes with it in the best way for them, but it will always exist. Sometimes changes will be for the better, and sometimes they may be stressful, but in any situation, change brings in new opportunities.

While some may fear change and others see change as a catalyst for growth, it’s important to remember change is a constant, especially high school change. It is inevitable, just as likely a result of growth no matter how much students avoid it.

However, change can open doors if students let it happen.