I don’t know about you, but I definitely felt like the year was over after midterms. I studied, took my tests, and that’s it…right? Well, not really. Since the year is only half over, we non-seniors must get back into the routine of early mornings, late night studying, and trying our hardest not to look at Facebook or Twitter every 3 seconds…speaking of that, I’ll be right back.

As I was saying, although we all try to convince ourselves that we won’t need to try this semester, the truth is, this semester counts as much as the last one. We must put forth as much effort or even more to achieve the results we are looking for. As a freshman, I have heard mixed opinions about the second semester from the upperclassmen. Some say that they breezed through it, and some say that it was way harder than the first semester. The truth is, I’m honestly not sure what to expect, but if it was anything like the first half of the year, I should probably turn off Gossip Girl and start studying.

I started to make a list of goals to accomplish before the end of the year, but because I could not seem to end my list, I decided to shorten it to three main goals. These goals are personal, but will probably apply to most people.

1. Use time more efficiently (stop procrastinating)
2. Balance social life, school, and hobbies without losing too much sleep
3. Relax

To accomplish the first goal, we all must try not to get distracted. As I said before, this is something we all do, and although it seems impossible, we have to find some way to push Facebook to the bottom of our priority list (here I go again making lists). In Middle School, waiting until the last minute to study for a test was definitely an option, and happened to work some of the time. As I learned in the first semester, cramming in high school isn’t as easy as it looks because there is much more information that we cover for each test. It is important to use your time wisely and start preparing for tests in advance.  First goal: check.

Since juggling was never my forte, balancing my social life, my school work, and out of school hobbies didn’t come easy at first either. I unquestionably have to give up hanging with my friends to finish my homework, and staying up extremely late to study Modern World because Saturday play practice is constantly taking up time. But these sacrifices are all a part of the balance; the more conflicts that arise, the more decisions I am required to make. There is no question that my juggling skills have not changed. I can say that high school has helped me understand what priorities come first and that time will teach us how to maintain a healthy social life while keeping up with school work and out of school activities.  Second goal: check.

Lastly, and most importantly, we all must relax. Although stress seems to be a prominent feature in most of our lives, relaxation is key—whether it is hanging out with friends, reading a good book, exercising, or just taking a nap (no one is ever too old for a nap). When I talk to the upperclassmen about my workload, they always laugh at me, claiming that they have double the work that I have, and that freshman year was “soooooo easy.” It hasn’t been the easiest year, but as the days go by, I think we are all finding new ways to tackle our goals and reach our objectives. By establishing new routines, I have been able to reduce my stress level and enjoy the excitement of high school. Third goal: check.

Everyone has their own personal goals that they would like to achieve this semester. Whether it is playing on a sports team, performing in a musical, practicing an instrument, or winning a tournament, we all have different ways of achieving our goals. The second semester surely won’t be easy, but with a positive mindset, we should be able to get through it.

For those of you preparing for your AP Tests, here is the No Fear summary:

Goal 1: we must use our time more effectively

Goal 2: we must learn to balance our social life, our school life, and out of school activities while maintaining physical health and wellness (not losing too much sleep)

Goal 3: we must learn to relax and eliminate stress as much as possible