The high school years at Trinity vary due to different challenges. Each grade level reveals another level of surprises and stresses that are unique to each year.
9th Grade
As students entering 9th grade are introduced to the new perspective of high school, many have to adapt to the faster pace.
“ The pace of ninth grade coming from middle school is different because of the amount of daily work,” Upper School Academic Support Sarah Hill said.
Along with the workload amount, the standards are also raised for the quality of work. Students are forced to adjust their habits and ability to manage time such as going to more study periods after school or spending more time studying.
“The biggest change for me from middle to high school is the workload and how strict the teachers are on due dates,” freshman Amanda Sanchez said. “In middle school, it wasn’t so hard to turn in assignments on time and the teachers were flexible, now they aren’t anymore.”
Still, freshmen know that the next few years of high school will likely prove even more challenging.
“Freshman year is more difficult than middle school, but I know that the upcoming years are going to be even more important since my grades will have to go to colleges,” Sanchez said.
Changing from middle to high school can be stressful but many turn to sports as they dedicate more time to their respective junior varsity or varsity sports. While it is an extracurricular, it is also a way of managing stress. According to the Tennessee Chiropractic Association, 68% of teens who exercise or participate in sports say that this technique of relieving stress is extremely effective.
“Sports are a great outlet for anybody because if you are stressed academically, you need an avenue to alleviate all that stress
and sometimes the only way to do that is physical fitness,” Hill said.
10th Grade
Although 9th grade is a hard transition from middle school, it is still considered, by many students, easier than the rest of high school. Sophomore Kristian Baum believes in 10th grade there are higher expectations of various classes.
“ The main difference between sophomore and freshman year is that there are a lot more quizzes and tests and the grading system is much harder,” Baum said. “For example, in English, there are a lot more standards when writing an essay than there were during freshman year.”
Although sophomores are under a lot of stress, students now have the freedom to drive. Because of this privilege, many are able to plan around their busy schedules by alleviating the long waiting times for parents
“Driving in your sophomore year is a privilege that brings happiness and is a way of relieving stress,” Hill said.
11th Grade
The transition from 10th to 11th is one of the most dramatic changes because the workload and new extracurriculars that are introduced during junior year are said to be significantly harder than that of freshmen and sophomore years.
“The transition from freshman and sophomore year [to junior year] was extreme because all of these new activities were introduced and the impact was extreme,” senior Jacqueline Stenzel said.
As more APs are introduced, the overall stress has progressively increased with each new AP. Students have to manage the college-based course now and then prepare for the class exams as well as the AP exams. In sophomore year there are about 1-2 APs able to be taken while in junior year students can take 5-6 APs. Not only are APs introduced but in junior year students have to look into taking the SAT and ACT. Students dedicate hours of studying and tutoring sessions to achieve the scores required for college applications. Maintaining current extracurricular activities as well as finding new opportunities can also take a toll on the already busy juniors.
“Now everyone could drive, people were getting jobs and school work got a lot harder,” Stenzel said.
12th Grade
The stereotype of senior year being the easiest due to easier classes and a lessened workload can be proven wrong in different senior as the workload can maintain a steady pace from junior to senior year.
“This far into my senior year has been the hardest year because I have had as much work as I had during junior year and even more,” Stenzel said. “This can be determined by what classes you take your senior year but this year is causing me just as much stress as last year.”
Seniors also are under the pressure of applying for colleges and listing out their resumes, which can be very nerve-racking. According to the website, Spartan Shield, 37% of seniors who are applying for college said that applying was the most stressful task.
“It’s so difficult to try to apply to colleges and focus on school at the same time, it’s overwhelming,” Stenzel said.
Along with school and looking ahead to the future, many have responsibilities outside of school, such as jobs. “I work at Mathnasium two times a week, where I tutor kids in math, this does add to my stress and workload but when I use my time wisely and manage it, it all allows me to be productive,” Stenzel said.
High school years at Trinity can all be difficult in their ways based on extracurricular activities, applying to colleges and workload; such things are the various stresses of high school students.
