It’s a pretty much universal occurrence for upperclassmen to dislike freshmen, but where exactly does it come from? Does it happen simply because they’re young and annoying? Is it their sense of humor?

I’ll admit, sometimes when I hear a freshman talk, all I hear is the yap yap yapping of a little chihuahua, and their jokes never seem original. The freshman hate train comes to the station for both of these reasons, but at the end of the day, I think it mostly boils down to our own self-reflection and the way we cringe at ourselves.

In my experience, ever since I was about eight years old, I’ve always looked back on my past selves and sighed. I’ll think I’ve improved so much in all aspects of my life, acting like my current self is my best and final form, as if I won’t continue changing and changing. “Last year me”? Who’s that? When we look back and squirm, it’s often about a personality trait we didn’t like, the way we talked or dressed, the friends we had, or the way we truly believed we were funny.

Middle school is a rough time for a lot of people: it’s a wild, transformative ride, which can result in plenty of much-needed character development, much of which our little freshies are still adjusting to. But as an upperclassmen (ish), it’s easy to notice the young’uns who didn’t quite have enough character development, and it throws someone off when they realize Madison Middle School didn’t break someone in the ways it should have.

When I think back to when I was a freshman, I scoff at my naivety. I think about my first day of high school, with so many hopes, wonders, and predictions, and shake my head at how wrong I was. “Little did I know” is an excellent sentence starter to describe my mindset at the beginning of my first year of high school.

Frankly, on a different note, it’s also a matter of reflecting on workload and not realizing how easy I had it. I regret not appreciating the time I had when I had it. As a sophomore, there is a noticeably heavier workload than that of freshmen, as it understandably prepares you for the trenches of junior year.

If you’re a freshman, don’t take the hate personally because I can guarantee that 80% of the time, it’s not as much about you, as it is about us. But also, take this advice with a grain of salt and stay humble. You’re just a freshman.