As second semester rolls in, students at MHS have mixed feelings about the new semester and what is to come. Some students are anxious, while others are excited.

Second semester marks the halfway point, where freshmen become closer to being sophomores, and seniors are closer to graduation. Ani Sriram, a freshman, explained that the second half of the year is both stressful and thrilling. He said, “Being closer to sophomore year than the beginning of freshman year for most students wouldn’t be a problem. But for me, I feel as if there is more I need to accomplish before summer break.”

Junior Olivia Culp and other students have different approaches for handling the new semester. Culp said, “I personally hope to finish strong and not procrastinate as much so I can bring up my grades.”

New classes and teachers are a main concern for students. Students that often struggle with procrastination, like Culp, return to school after winter break with a new mindset that allows them to act upon their desire to stop procrastinating.

Students return to school with New Year’s resolutions to study more, better their grades, or have a positive outlook until the end of the school year. Jamir Nunley, a junior, is one of many students returning to school with new goals for the end of the year. He said, “I want to improve on going to bed on time and waking up early.

But for others, like senior Nate Muhlbach, it may be difficult to get back into waking up early or finding time to set aside for schoolwork if they don’t find any motivation. He said, “It was hard waking up since I was so used to sleeping in, but I was excited to start working on the musical and start show choir competitions, so I was ready.”

The first semester involves new schedules that may take some time to understand and adjust to, while there can be changes to student schedules in the second semester. Sophomore Josie Conti tries to transition into her new CCP health class after the long break. She said, “I think the first semester is a time where many students, including myself, are trying to navigate their classes and get back into ‘school mode’.”

According to Conti, the second semester is a more comfortable time when we are familiar with how the classes are set up and what is expected of us, which makes life much easier.

Most students at Mayfield become used to staying up late and sleeping in during winter break, so trying to get back into a good sleep schedule for school is challenging. Sophomore Jada Chamroeun states, “My sleep schedule was very off because I would stay up late, so waking up on the morning was definitely hassle.”

Typically, sophomore Courtney Kloczko thinks students feel more integrated in their high school environment by the second semester, and enjoy the small change in schedules after a monotonous first semester. She said, “The schedule changes are better in the second semester than the first, and was much easier.”

And yet, students can get stuck in bad habits that may be hard to break, even after a long break and the promise at the start of a new semester. Freshman Tayler Betteridge takes U.S. History Honors and Biology Honors, and has mixed feelings about the classes. She said, “ For me, the struggle through the first semester has been studying for biology, I hope eventually I will get the hang of it and pull my grade back up.”

However, not all students find the start of second semester difficult, as freshman Alli Wank thinks the second semester is similar to the first. She said, “I can’t see how it could be much more difficult. It is just like the first semester, I guess.”

On March 12th, the third quarter will end and the fourth quarter will begin. Until then, students try to get back into a school schedule, preparing for End of Course exams and finals. Students will take this opportunity to bring up grades, and work hard to finish the school year strong.