Through the final stretch of days edging closer to finals week, high school students at Skyline High School are slowly starting to feel the pressure of the first semester ending. Because the school has high academic standards and competition, students are constantly under heat to study to their utmost capabilities to help them pass their exams. The demand to perform well on these final exams can cause anxiety and stress, making one feel overwhelmed by the amount of material to review and the weight of their grades on their academic future. Additionally, classmates may also face additional stressors such as completing projects, studying for IB exams, and maintaining extracurricular activities. The week can be demanding both mentally and physically, and it is important for students to take care of themselves and practice self-care to help manage the tension.

“Things have really started to ramp up these past couple weeks,” The year started quite similarly to other years, where teachers eased you into things. “But now, things have started picking up. Time management-while staying on top of your homework and also studying-is your key to getting good grades,” says junior Hudson Moore. Because junior year is the most important year of your high school career, juniors have started to see differences from past years of classwork. Assignment deadlines are more strict, tests are harder, and studying hours are at an all-time high. Teachers enforce more assignments to ensure all the content is engraved into your brain and you are ready for the constant quizzes assigned every week. Additionally, all this information is put into one test at the end of the year, and students must know every bit of it by then.

“I think this year has probably been the hardest academic years of my life not just because of the workload, but the content itself is so difficult to understand,” says junior Kaleb Troung. As junior year is a pivotal year for college preparation, juniors endure the most stress and difficulty, as most colleges look at junior year grades heavily. It is important for juniors to take their junior year seriously, as it can have a significant impact on their future academic and career opportunities. However, some students feel too much pressure, and alongside all the other things happening in their lives, they wonder if they can succeed in reaching their goals. “I am worried about finals week, and I don’t know if I will be able to put together all my notes to memorize everything for each and every class,” says junior Colin Mckenna. Additionally, some students have to balance both school and extracurricular activities, which takes another toll on their mental and physical health.

“I’m at school from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. some days, and when I come home all I want to do is shower then sleep,” says senior Ryan Shields. “Especially during a hectic season of basketball where there is practice every day and a game craved two or three times a week, my body gets tired, but all I can do in my free time is catch up on homework and study for upcoming quizzes and tests.” “It’s exhausting,” says senior Mira Lee. The pressure is real, and people work their hardest to achieve their goals, but when is the body at its limit? Sophomore Abby Jason stated how the difference between high school and middle school is
“night and day.”

People’s minds are more focused on their grades than anything. When finals week comes around, all they think about is school, and they spend hours in preparation for it. The high status of reaching your goals in the academic world is taking a toll on students’ minds, causing their heads to contain stress. There is way less free time, and Sundays are dedicated solely to do homework and study. Time is ticking, and the chaos of finals week is getting closer, erupting in people’s minds and affecting their self-esteem and goals. “My time management is going to determine if I get the grade I want in this class or not,” says junior Kaleb Troung.

Skyline High School finals week is starting to approach, and students from all grade levels are starting to feel the pressure and intensity that the school brings. Physical and mental problems are threatening to affect classmates in their fight to reach their academic goals. Stress levels are at an all-time high, and students are working their hardest to prepare for their final exams. The semester is ending, as are one’s chances of reaching their academic goals.