Although entering a brand-new school may seem like a fresh start in any teen’s life, the transition experience can be either positive or negative. As New Providence High School welcomes new students for the 2025-2026 school year, the quality of these teenagers’ experiences varies.

Some research provides context that switching schools can negatively impact children’s futures. According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, “Like previous research, we find that just under 30% of high school students attend more than one high school, and the students who change schools are more likely to drop out.”

The effects of changing schools can be daunting for students both in the short term and in the long term, especially for those who already struggle when entering new environments. Although much research discusses the negative effects of transitioning between schools, some websites have presented this change in a more positive light.

Lydian Academy suggests that changing schools can be effective for students who are struggling:  “Not every environment is a good fit for every child. While some students thrive in public schools and private schools with large class sizes and multiple distractions, others do not. If your child’s learning style is visual, auditory, or action-oriented, they may find it difficult to learn effectively in these surroundings.”

For  the 2025-2026 school year, New Providence High School has welcomed several new students who have had varying experiences.

New freshman Oreofeoluwa Olakanmi, who moved to New Jersey from Nigeria, provided insight about how she now sees she could’ve differently approached integrating into a new school:  “I would have tried to familiarize myself more during the summer because I missed out trying out [for sports] because I didn’t know there was all this stuff you needed to go through.”

Most extracurricular activities, like band and sports, start their processes within the earlier summer months, which make it harder for incoming students to both be informed on these topics and also attend them. Even though this is a downside to switching schools, other new students have praised the change.

Levi Sussman, a new sophomore, has found some real advantages to the switch:  “I haven’t met a single mean person here. Everyone’s very nice.”

Despite the stereotype, both of these new students  feel like they had a very positive experience coming to NPHS, specifically relating to friendship.