89% teenagers say starting secondary school is less scary than expected
We asked over 2,000 teenagers what they thought about starting secondary school, and asked those that had already started what it was really like, and if they had any advice for those starting.
The survey found that over half (55%) admitted to feeling nervous, with two fifths (44%) worried about making friends, a third (34%) worried about not being able to do the work, and 28% concerned about being bullied.
However two thirds (65%) of teenagers were excited about starting secondary school, with two thirds (66%) looking forward to making new friends, three fifths (60%) looking forward to learning new things, and a third (33%) looking forward to playing new sports.
Of those that have already started, half (50%) said that it was less scary than they thought it would be, and a further 39% said that it was not scary at all. Only 5% said it was scarier than they thought it would be.
Our top tips for starting secondary school based on the feedback from over 2,000 teenagers are;
1) Don’t worry about making friends – “Be yourself as it is the best way to make real friends”
2) Don’t worry about getting lost – “School isn’t as big as it seems, and you will get used to it”
3) Pay attention and work as hard as you can – “Teachers don’t get cross if they know you have really tried”
4) Ask for help – “If you are worried about anything do ask for help”
5) Have fun and enjoy it – “it is like moving up a level in a game, it will be challenging, but fun.”
Starting secondary school is a major milestone in a child’s life and many are understandably a little nervous. We hope that learning that almost 9 in 10 teenagers either didn’t find it scary at all, or found it less scary than they thought it would be, will reassure those starting this year.