“God, I’m so stressed out” is a refrain often heard throughout the halls of the Woods Charter community. The stresses of homework, constant tests, and new units can easily catch up to even the most dedicated students. 

“We just got back from Thanksgiving break, and we have a test every single day,” said senior Anna Robards.

The time of Thanksgiving and winter break – a time often associated with festivities and comfort – is often cited as one of the most dreaded periods for seniors throughout every high school, and Woods is no different. With application deadlines looming, midterm exams right around the corner, and T1 tests approaching, students are feeling it now more than ever.

“I had a 1500-word essay due the other night, an economics project, math homework, a basketball game the next day, I have to study for a nursing exam, econ and English tests, and homework to top it all off,” said senior Sarah Abuhaija. “I’m very stressed. Going to break down any moment.”

Seeing how all of this important work needs to be done eventually, students are questioning why it all must be done between Thanksgiving and Christmas as opposed to spacing all the work and balancing the study/celebrate ratio during early wintertime. Then again, many students haven’t yet felt the stresses of their schoolwork. Whether it’s an organizing-strategy being gatekept from other students or simply a combination of specific classes, many find themselves wishing to be as calm and collected as others, who appear unaffected during this time.

“Maybe it hasn’t hit me yet,“ said senior Gaby Borrel.