Freshman year can be one of the worst or best experiences of high school, depending on how you spend your time. Senior Omar Ghoramah recently sat down to reflect on his freshman year at AHS, and offer some advice to current freshmen.

Ghoramah explained that he heard only heard good things from anyone he asked about high school, so it wasn’t as nerve-wracking for him as it is for those who rely on movies showing freshmen being shoved into lockers. “I was pretty excited because I knew a lot of people in high school, and they said that it was a lot better than middle school,” Ghoramah said.

Going into to AHS from Poe Middle School, Ghoramah had many friends coming with him, which made the transition even easier. However, the transition from middle school classes to high school classes really threw him for a loop. “Freshman year had a lot more homework than I was expecting,” Ghoramah said.

Making friends is an important, and sometimes scary, part of being a freshman in a big school. Participating in sports is a good way to make new friends if that is something you’re interested in. Ghoramah met more friends by participating in sports during all three seasons: cross country during the fall season, indoor track during the winter season and outdoor track during the spring season.

Joining clubs is a great way to meet new people and become involved in school activities. Ghoramah participated in clubs throughout his high school career such as the Muslim Student Association and Technology Student Association with Coach Phil Harris. “I wish I had been involved in more clubs earlier,” Ghoramah said.

Looking back on memories from freshman year is one of the funniest things to do as you get older. Ghoramah said that his favorite memory was placing first in the 800m race during spring track his freshman year. One of the funniest things he remembers from high school was the bomb threat that was called in as a joke on March 30, 2012. “That was a funny memory. Mainly because we got to chill on the bus,” Ghoramah said.

Although Ghoramah has made some great memories, his freshman year was not all fun and games. “My worst memory from freshman year was probably my first all-nighter,” Ghoramah said. “I didn’t get any sleep that night, I had to do so many projects.”

Many high schoolers wish they could go back to their freshman year and make some different choices. When asked what he would change if he could go back, Ghoramah said, “I wish I did my homework more, so I would have had better grades.”

All in all, Ghoramah has had a great time at AHS and his freshman year was a time to remember, making many friends and memories in the process. When asked if he had any advice for the Class of 2018, Ghoramah said, “Do as many clubs and extracurricular activities as you can, and make sure you get the best grades as possible, because even though they don’t count as much as sophomore and junior year, they still affect your GPA.”