First semester finals in high school mark the middle of the academic year. Since the gradebook resets and classes often change, the beginning of the end often feels like a fresh start for students. 

Second semester is also notorious for being easier than the first. Students are prepping for summer, and seniors are preparing to be done with high school once and for all. 

Wilsonville High School runs on a multi-semester system, which is helpful to student development, as well as resetting the learning environment mid-year. 

The stress is exponential come finals in semester one. There is something incredibly refreshing about walking into new classes after grades are finalized. 

Schedules often change, and students such as senior Nathan Wilde feel great about the rest of their school days. “I’m feeling great about the new semester,” he remarked. “This is the first time I’ve had an easy schedule, so it feels amazing.”

The comfort of this change is definitely different from the first day of the school year. 

It is easier to feel comfortable on the first day of semester two because while it is a somewhat fresh scene, consistencies such as core classes and being continually generally settled in allow for faster and easier adjustments for students. 

Expectations are high for this new semester as well. Students have made goals for grade improvements, seniors begin counting down the days to graduation, and the sun begins to shine outside the windows once again. 

At Wilsonville, most students are exhilarated specifically for the gradebook reset. It feels like a fresh start, and allows them to clean the slate and finish the year off strong. 

Anthony Herrera, senior, feels as though his slate has been swept clean. “My classes are the same for this semester, but it does feel easier to have a fresh start and just start over with the new semester, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Both the new year and the new semester can be inspiring to individuals. Teachers have adjusted to their classes, and students have experienced the ins and outs of high school life– especially as underclassmen.

Still, not everyone feels like the semester is entirely exciting. Many students are still struggling, and some feel the same amount of stress as they did in the first semester of this year. 

Senior Chloe Russel feels as though her classes are just as difficult as before. “My classes are still hard, and I feel like my brain doesn’t work anymore.”

Upperclassmen often feel like their work ethic plummets during the second semester, especially in their senior year. Many regard this difficult time with the term “senioritis.”

Either way, the second semester definitely brings change. Students are reaching for bigger and better things, and are yearning toward their next year in high school– or maybe the beginning of the rest of their lives.