Finals

Finals

Sophie Venus

Finals are the most stressful time of the year, any high school student will agree. I've been study for the past month and I still don't feel prepared. I've cried multiple times and thought there was no way for me to studying any more. But I know that if I continue to work hard it will pay off, and that's a message every student should know. Finals are just a bump in the road before summer and once it's over you don't have to worry about. But what if there we could change finals? I have many friends from other schools that don't do finals. They do final projects. I think this helps relieve the stress of having to do multiple hard tests. If Sparta high school did this I think it would help the students enjoying there last week of school more, I know I would.

Summer

by Nuriel Rozenberg

Another day, another week, another month, another year. The school year is almost over and you know what that means summer! Oh, do I love staying up until 4 am and it not be a consequence because I have nowhere to be the next morning. It feels great to sit there at abnormal hours of the morning binge watching your favorite shows and being able to watch the next episode, especially when left on a cliff hanger. Of course, you can't stay up that late and not have a midnight snack, it really makes all the difference in staying up. I do love staying up with friends really late at night, sitting under the stars, and roasting marshmallows. Nothing says summer like a good s'more. There is really something peaceful about being awake that late at night and not hearing cars or your neighbors. No school means no stress which makes everything better.
Going to the beach is pretty great too. Hearing the waves crash onto the shore as the sun beats down on you. It's pretty amazing. You come back all tan and pretty, even though there is sand in places sand should never be. Summer is when everyone takes trips, too. Everyone travels and goes to all these cool places. For example, this summer I am going to Israel for almost 6 weeks by myself. I'm very excited for the adventure and to go out. Life is different there, it is more lively. I get to try new foods and tour the country, which will be very fun.
This year went by pretty quick. I mostly enjoyed it and I have memories from this year that I will probably never forget. Although I'm sad to be leaving my friends, I know that we will talk almost every day and see each other all the time once school starts again next

School by Sophie Venus

School

When june comes

School will end

After finals I'll have a life again

No more stress

No more studying

No more homework

No more early mornings

Or long days of work

I'll no longer be afraid of math grades

I won't have to worry about gpas

This will mark the end of sophomore year

But only a couple months until I return to this place

Ways to End the School Year Successfully | by Samantha Patino

As we approach the end of the school year, stress levels always seem to increase among students.  Everyone constantly worries about their final grades, AP tests, and final exams.  Throughout the year everything seems to become more difficult and as a result, many students feel the weight of stress pulling them down.  Below are some ways to help cope with stress and be better prepared for exams and other schoolwork.  

Set goals:  Whether it's to finish the year off with straight A’s or getting a 4.0 on the AP test, make sure that you have something to work for.  Knowing your goals and what you want to get out of all of the hard work you have been doing will help to keep you motivated to finish off the year strong.   

Don’t wait until the last minute to study:  Make sure that you set time aside to study before the last night before a test.  If you have been studying for at least a couple of days before you take a test all of the information will seem more manageable than waiting until the night before.  Studying in advance will also help you to fully absorb all of the information.  As you get closer to the test date, remember to review concepts that confuse you.  Since you are leaving a good amount of time to study before the test, you will have time to go and ask your teacher for help on things that are hard to understand.       

Take breaks:  In between studying and finishing all other homework, set aside 10-30 minutes to do something other than staring at your computer or the pile of papers stacked in front of you.  During these breaks, try to do something that is productive or makes you happy, whether its getting everything ready for the next day or watching TV.  Knowing that you will be able to do things other than homework soon, will keep you motivated to get through everything that you have to do.  

Get outside:  Change your everyday schedule by taking advantage of the nice weather and finishing up homework outside.  Going outside to do some sort of physical activity can also help you to destress.

Stay organized:  Since the end of the year is nearing it’s easy to forget assignments and lose the organization that you had in the beginning of the year.  Use a planner or calendar to help keep your school assignments, studying, and other activities organized.  

 

Spring Sports

Spring Sports:
By Sophie Venus
March 3 marks the day spring sports starts for me and many others. I love playing lacrosse but the coming of sports means way more stress for school. From now on after school, I'll have practice for two hours and then I'll go home to do homework. I already can't do my homework in one night and I usually get to bed around 12 am. With sports, that time will extend to maybe 1 or 2 am. This means when I go to school the next morning I will hardly be awake. This also means I have no down time to give my mind a break. How do you balance good grades and playing a sport? This is a question I don't think anyone can answer.

School

By Nuriel Rozenberg
I think we can all mostly agree that school can be challenging. Sure, we are learning new things and trying to keep up with the workload, but why do we make it so hard for ourselves? In every grade, there are the over-achievers, under-achievers, and everyone in between. For some, school comes more naturally than for others and while that's just human nature, each individual person takes schooling differently. There are the people that just aren't stressed while others are radiating worry and stress. We strive to be the greatest when we should instead strive to be the best version of ourselves. As students who are nervous for the future since it's coming so close, we should learn to accept who we are rather than striving to be someone we are not. School and life shouldn't be a competition because then you miss the little things that really make you appreciate life. I constantly get asked what I got on a test, what my GPA is, and even my class rank, but does comparing ourselves to others really help? I look at those numbers and I use it as motivation to make myself better and try to reach my goals. Everyone does what they can and comparing ourselves to each other can only stress us out more. Each and every one of us has tests, quizzes, and assignments for every class that we must complete. Instead of getting annoyed we should look at this as another obstacle to overcome. School and life are not going to get easier, we should try to take things a little lighter and maybe. just maybe will we feel a little less stressed.