At the end of the 2021-2022 school year, I chose to transfer from Liberty High to West High. The day I decided to transfer was the most anxiety-inducing day of my life, because I was already so uncomfortable with the thought of having to get used to a whole different school. Because this decision was so serious to me, I even made a pros and cons list to weigh the options. I wanted to leave Liberty because I just wasn’t happy, but the change scared me. Now that I’ve settled into the ways of West, I marvel at how different each school is. In comparison, these two schools are like completely different worlds. 

At Liberty, everything is new, white, and fluorescent. Meanwhile at West, you are transported back into the 1970s if you walk into the wrong bathroom. Honestly, I don’t know which is better. I think the old building kind of gives West more character. Liberty feels untouched, but it was nice to have televisions lining every general hallway and other common areas. Having heated cafeteria floors, especially during the winter, wasn’t a bad perk.

The other thing that makes these two schools so different is who makes up the student body. As many are already aware, West is more diverse. After spending two years at Liberty and then switching to West, I was happy to realize that West is more diverse in aspects such as style, personality and interests.

Diversity is important in the high school setting because it allows students to expand on their views and thought processes. Having a diverse student body also expands the way we see the world, and it helps us grow.

West’s student body also seems to establish a more rigorous attitude when it comes to academics, which is has led them to be ranked #1 in the state for academics quite a few times. Academics are serious to me, so West is a better fit for me in the end. That’s not to say that Liberty doesn’t have a good academic attitude, I honestly just think that the difference is due to the age of the schools. West has had more time to establish this drive and ambitious culture within the school, Liberty has had a mere five years to establish a culture similar to this. Time will continue to further develop the academic culture within Liberty. 

There are positive things about Liberty, like the staff. The staff there is amazing and I loved every teacher I had freshman and sophomore year. Leaving Liberty’s staff was honestly one of the hardest things about transferring. Some people can be pretentious at Liberty, but there were lots of people I did enjoy talking to and hanging out with. Being at Liberty didn’t work for me, but a lot of people are really happy there. West has so many different people and I love that about this school. I love that there is so much drive within the students to do great things. Through all of these differences, I’ve found that I’m much happier at West. I’m satisfied with my decision to switch schools, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.