As we enter a new semester, we have reached the halfway point in our school year! Yet, it may not seem that way. Although the days and weeks seem really long, the first half of the school year has flown by really fast. 

For some, in the new semester, we have changed classes, removed, or added a study hall in our schedule. This can cause added stress to our minds because we have to go to new classes and make new first impressions to our teachers. 

Although our reputations might be set in our other classes, this new addition of class can be a fresh start and we can do better. The second semester gives us a fresh start and allows us to improve our grades.

 The second semester seems very long. We do not have a large number of school days off as we did in the first semester. In the first semester, we had 5 in-service days in November, while in February we only have 1 in-service day. 

Lily Cunningham, a sophomore states, “ The third semester is usually the hardest for me. With keystones, AP tests and all the other stuff going on we don’t have much time. Also, school work is usually the hardest during this time, so it can be really stressful.”

Emma Scott agrees, saying “There should be more in-service days in the second semester because it is more stressful”

In the upcoming school years, we should have a more spread out days off, and maybe more in the second semester because it is usually way more stressful than the first. 

The second semester may seem like a downhill run to the finish line, but it can also be a lot more stressful than the first semester. With AP tests, finals, and scheduling for next year’s classes this time can be really stressful for some. 

In the next few weeks, we will have to decide what classes we will take next year. Although it seems like we have only been in class for a few months, we will have to choose if we are going to take AP, honors, or academic classes.

There is so much pressure to take AP classes, but in the long run, does it really matter if we take all AP or all academic? In the end, as long as you’re happy and can live a life other than doing school work does it matter.