Henry Snow ’25
Coming back to Andover, I was very excited to see all my friends, classmates, and teammates. I felt that it was much easier this year to transition into the academic schedule and social activities because of the several shortened school days. I can’t wait to meet new friends and start the school year on a good note.
Micheal Kawooya ’26
Move-in was exciting, and perhaps the most exciting part was getting to meet new people. In the process of getting to know my fellow classmates, some expressed their distaste of the frequency of potatoes at our meals, but I don’t echo their sentiments. Potatoes were a staple in my diet back home, and have helped make Andover feel like home as well. Furthermore, [Paresky] Commons serves a different iteration of the vegetable at every meal, which, in my opinion, is more exciting than repetitive. I think it’s safe to say, potatoes were a highlight of my orientation experience.
Nick Donaldson ’23
The orientation this year was an interesting change, but a success in my eyes. I loved the energy on campus and seeing friends after a long period of time is always so much fun. This year I had added responsibilities as West Quad South Cluster Co-President along with the annual New International Student Orientation (NISO). I got to interact heavily with new students and their families and loved every second. Helping to facilitate their welcome to campus has been so fulfilling, whether that be hyping up an incoming freshman with sheer excitement in their eyes or reassuring another with a nervous glare that everything will be so fine. Senior season has also been a fantastic start, of course. Knowing that everything happening now will be my last of high school makes it even more memorable, like my water polo season. I’m glad this orientation has had me busy and provided me with some good things to look back on.
Josh Lee ’24
I think the special schedule is meant to provide a sort of “practice round” for the school year and is, as such, a really good way to ensure a safe start for students. For many people who are unhappy with their class selection, the nature of the 40-minute classes as, usually, extended orientation periods, let students changing classes stay comfortable. While it is jarring, the lack of class on Wednesday, along with less time in class overall, gives ample time to complete assignments on top of possible stress over beginning-of-year tryouts for sports and music auditions. Having this time doesn’t only help combat burnout early into the term, but I believe it also teaches good work habits that can be carried into the whole year.
Jenny Jin ’24
The 40-minute classes in the first week weren’t really helpful in terms of transitioning to having school. Although the schedule gave us a lot of free time, we could barely cover anything in class. After a week of school, it still feels like school hasn’t really started yet.
