End Of School Recap

End of School Recap

By: Michelle Ng

As the school year is coming to an end, many students are beginning to relax and prepare for summer. This is around the time where students try to push their hardest in order to reach their academic goals, and reach the “finish line”. For a majority of students at Lincoln Park High School, this is the first time we have had a normal-ish school year since the start of the pandemic. We have been thrown right back into school as it normally was, but it has been a big transition from an easier remote learning to fully in-person.

Kyla Cisneros, a Junior in the IB program, expresses her frustration in a recent interview when asked about the stress levels of this school year. She said “The school year has definitely been challenging for a number of reasons like the SAT'', but after all the AP and IB exams she feels she is beginning to tap out and it is ready for summer! Although the school year is ending, Kyla has reflected on school as a whole and says, “I feel like we put a lot more pressure on these things and academically it’s hard to keep up sometimes, especially when there are many assignments due on the same day.” while referring to the rigorous IB program.

The IB class of 2023 students have faced it all, from a Freshman year full of protests to remote learning sophomore year and then in person school Junior year for the first time taking IB courses. Not to mention the amount of stress to juggle with transportation to and from school, higher-level classes, and studying for the SAT, AP exams and IB exams. Audrey Goshko, another Junior IB student, agrees with Kyla, and highlights the “extra IB stuff and SAT preparation” that is necessary to maintain a high academic standard. Another student TJ Webber that is part of the Honors program at Lincoln Park would disagree, he says, “In-person learning is better than virtual learning, and the stress load is manageable ''. Taking advice from teachers and counselors that I have talked to before about managing stress and balancing school. Many have told me that reaching out to teachers and expressing your struggles is the best way to get help. Teachers will support you with your problems and do their best to help you whether it is during office hours or in class. Building a good relationship with your teachers allows for opportunities in the long run and establishes a good understanding of what the teacher is looking for in a successful student. School overall for all students has been stressful.