They walk into a newly discovered world with shaky smiles, trying to find their friends in the endless hallways and avoid the eyes of upperclassmen. The bell sounds and their eyes go wide, faces blanching. With backpacks hitched high, they are surrounded by skyscrapers while rushing to the first class of the day. They must undergo four years in this treacherous world where only the strong minded survive.

Freshman year. For some, the word might leave a bad taste in their mouth, for others it’s deemed a walk in the park. Everyone thought they knew what high school was going to be like, but do they really? Some call it daydreaming, others call it fear.

Hover over the picture to see what students and staff feared their freshman year.