They never thought this day would come, or at least not this fast. From nine periods to six, from the top of the class to the bottom, from middle school to high school, the freshmen of the 2014-2015 school year have arrived at Mt. Hebron High School.

New Student Orientation took place on Aug. 21, giving the newcomers the opportunity to roam the school and get a feel for the place where they would spend seven hours of the next 180 days. It gave the newly-graduated eighth-graders a chance to identify the rooms in their schedules and to meet the teachers who would be joining them in those classes.

English teacher and freshman class sponsor, Mr. Barth, presides over incoming students at orientation.

For some, it was a challenge.

“It’s actually really confusing because all of the hallways look exactly same,” freshman Nicole Tabenske said.

This is true — basically all of the hallways in Mt. Hebron are clad in the school colors of black and gold. Because of this, a number of lost students clouded the school that Thursday.

Freshman Paige Ansaldi said, “I couldn’t find the second gym at first, which freaked me out.”

Nonetheless, some believed it to be a walk in the park.

“Nothing really surprised me, and I know people from sports, so I’m not too worried,” freshman Nick Jackson said.

Other students also carried this confidence with them as the new school year loomed ahead. Some of these students have older siblings who attended Mt. Hebron before them, which proved to be a benefit in terms of navigating the crowded hallways and getting advice for high school.

But for those who did not have this advantage, the only help they received came from printed maps of the school and verbal directions from teachers and student volunteers.

The freshmen were not the only new ones setting foot onto Viking territory. Mr. Dwayne Williams started his new job as Assistant Principal at Mt. Hebron this year. He, too, had some uncertainties about starting at a new school.

“I taught at the same school for seven years previously. The change in environment was what probably made me most anxious,” Mr. Williams stated.

Despite his reservations, Mr. Williams was still excited about getting the 2014-2015 school year started in his new surroundings. He said he was especially looking forward to meeting the students.

If you think coming to a new school is difficult, though, imagine coming to a whole new country. Senior Maria Hendar, a foreign exchange student all the way from Sweden, found her own set of difficulties on orientation day.

“It was hard to find classrooms in [my] schedule,” she said. “I’m still confused on what A Day and B Day are!”

Nonetheless, Hendar is finding that she feels rather comfortable within the Mt. Hebron family.

“I was worried about making friends, but the people are really nice. And [the] school spirit is my favorite!” she explained.

For anyone, the start of school can be nerve-wracking. Unsure of how the social hierarchy works or who the teachers are — or, in Mr. Williams’ case, who the students are — you could even say it is downright scary. But once those first few weeks have passed, the rest are a breeze.

For freshmen, it might take a bit longer to really grasp the ways of Mt. Hebron. However, before they know it, they will be the ones watching the new group of freshmen walk through the front doors just as they did in the past.