We're Fine. It's just Quarterlies.

What’s it like facing quarterlies, late nights, and endless to-dos? The Between the Bells hosts open up about study strategies, test anxiety, and the pressure to succeed in school, all while balancing school, sports, clubs, and life.  From study strategies to burnout, procrastination to perfectionism, they talk about what it really feels like to be a high school student juggling it all—and how to find balance and take care of yourself along the way.

Transcript

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Hi everyone. Welcome to the Between the Bells podcast. You're here with Cami, Alexa, Lucy.  

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Maddie, Ruby, Annalise, and Mrs. Graham.  

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Hey, guys. Um, we're so happy to be back. Uh, so everything new quarterly are coming up.  

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Does someone want to explain what quarterly are? Because obviously we know, but the listeners might not. So okay.  

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So quarterly are exactly what they sound like. Um, it happens every quarter, which is every nine weeks. There's two, nine weeks in a semester. Um, that's kind of obvious, but, uh, you, whatever you learn during that nine weeks or that quarter, because there's four of them. It's like a big test. Um, and it is worth is it 15%? It's 15 or 15, but also just depends on points because of, like how.  

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Many points they put in.  

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Yeah, I don't know. I'm not a teacher said this is only ten.  

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So for quarterly they're not. It doesn't matter if they're the amount of points. It could be 100 points. It could be four points. It's 15% weighted of your grade.  

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So I'm not good at math. So I don't have much either. Like I remember your grades tanks so much if you do bad.  

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If you do bad, they take. Yeah.  

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But if you do good then.  

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It's then it.  

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Doesn't affect it. That doesn't help that much. No. It kind of sucks because if you do good, it's like, oh, you only get 1%, but if you do bad, it's like, oh, you're down 20% or something, right? It's just really depends. Yeah. So. Last year, um, when I was.  

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Yeah, like starting high school, I didn't realize that we had to take quarterly. And so I didn't know, like, I heard about it, but I like it didn't stick out in my mind. And so I forgot about it, and I didn't realize that we had to do it. And so then the end of October came up. It was so fast. The end of October comes up. I'm all like, talk about quarterly is coming up. And I'm like, guys, what are you talking about? What is this? And then I was like, oh my gosh, I'm literally screwed.  

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I'm going to lie. I honestly don't know how to study and I don't really like. I don't really know how to like. I don't really know how to like. Like, I can take notes. Yes, but, like, for me, it's hard to, like, figure out what's important and what I should write down and what doesn't really matter as much. Because to me, it's like if it's worth taking notes for, then everything is important. So like, how do you figure out what to cut out and like what matters more to write down for notes and I don't know how to like I don't really know how to study for a long time.  

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I've just like, kind of relied on my brain because up until probably eighth grade, I never had to study for anything because it was easy for me because, I don't know.  

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Some people's brains just I just thought, yeah.  

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I just, I don't know, it it was easy for me to like, take in information and just like, remember, like looking at a test question and being like, oh, I remember going over this in class, but like now it's not that cut and dry. And I'm not going to lie, guys, I'm having a hard time and I regret not teaching myself how to take notes.  

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Does anyone have any study tactics for Ruby?  

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Um, I do. I usually write.  

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Like.  

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Either online or.  

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But wait, I'm going to say I hate flashcards.  

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I'm sorry.  

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I know that will work with you, but usually I do flashcards and I write them down on paper because I feel like writing them down on paper for me and just having them physically is so much better than, like, online. Like, I can do it online. Like you're looking for bio. Like I would send it to you all the time. Yeah, but I just feel like when it's on paper, especially with like questions for like my honors history. Like he gave us multiple like open ended questions. He was like, you need to practice this. So then I would just like read it and then like re say like how I would think the answer would be and check it.  

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Yeah.  

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So my.  

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Chemistry teacher says.  

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That after.  

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You write notes because you like to write notes, like write Ruby. So if you write notes and then you.  

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Rewrite it in a.  

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Different.  

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Color.  

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Sometimes.  

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It helps.  

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And that's what I do.  

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Yeah. If you try to like, don't just reread it kind of because that doesn't help at all because you're just kind of editing it in your brain. But if you actually do something with it, instead of just staring at a piece of paper for hours, then it helps a lot.  

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Yeah. I feel I feel like it's, um, like you could write all the notes you want, but if you like, if you don't know how to apply the information and, like, you have nowhere to put it, then it's not serving you any, like, purpose. If that makes sense. So you can reread it. You can write it. But if you don't understand it, yeah, then it's not really helping you. Yeah. So how do you get past the point? Because what you're talking about, I.  

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Think is memorization. Like, we can read something and we can be able to write something and just kind of spit it back. But if you don't understand it, it's not helpful. So how do we get past just memorizing  to understanding and learning.  

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You have to do a lot of stuff outside of school.  

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I yeah, I just like. I know this is probably like a really weird and like it probably does not help anybody except myself because it's so weird. I will read my notes and rewrite them until I can, like, describe to you every single thing that's happened in that unit. Like, that's how I know I'm done studying.  

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Do you ever do that?  

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Then do you take it past the like, reading and writing and actually go say, hey, mom, can I tell you?  

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About what?  

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That's what I do. And, like, it's like I think about, like, what are, like, the main topics of the unit and or like, whatever you're learning about. And if I can tell you like all the details, like the, like main answers to all that. That's how I know I'm ready for a test.  

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So who is your person that you then go tell my mom.  

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Yeah. Like she's like, obviously she's no idea what I'm talking about most of the time, but she's just there to listen and, you know, act like she cares.  

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And I'm a big procrastinator. Oh me too. And I'm.  

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Same. Same same same.  

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So my thing with the quarterly is, is that I'm. I would like to say I'm a busy person. I'm in multiple different clubs. I have a job. And then I also have like my social life on top of it and my parents and like then my brother and like I have games. And so I think it's just a very, very busy. Like for me, I feel like I have no time to do anything but schoolwork. There's like a schedule basically. And I'd rather like I like my schedule, but sometimes it's a bit too much and you just want a day to relax. And I think quarterly is like at the end of the semester don't really help with that so much because you're also worried about other stuff.  

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But that's just tests in general. So.  

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Well, in, in this quarterly idea, I think when we think ahead to something like college, if students choose to go on to college, you know, there's midterms and there's finals and there's things like that. So I think the idea might be a little bit of how do we prepare students for what's to come.  

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So what do people know that idea? Do they? Do they know that it. It could help them and it could prepare them for, um, whatever they do beyond high school. Or do they just think, oh my gosh, they're giving us another test because they give us a million, thousand bajillion tests. Yeah, I feel like I feel like my problem with it is, is that I learned one thing and then I forget about it and we move on to the next thing. Like, it's hard to, like, overlook it all and then on top manage everything else. 

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I think that's kind of the point of the quarterly though, like is to because I, I'm not saying I disagree with you. I think that once I learned something, you know, I'm like, oh, tuck it in the back of my brain. And yeah, it's gone. But like, yeah. So I think the quarterly is trying to get you to like remember all of these things. But then we don't do finals or anything. So like. 

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You know, it's not like you need to take this big test to pass, but whatever grade you're leaving.  

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Well, for an AP.  

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Or an AP.  

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Or a different.  

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Story. Yeah.  

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I guess. But not everyone's required to take an AP.  

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So you're also not quite like required to take the AP exam. So.  

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So if we go back and we were talking about quarterly and you guys talked about all the stress right. So I was wondering about testing society.  

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Oh do you have? Do we struggle.  

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With test anxiety? 

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What is it? What it. What is it? Like what does that feel like to you?  

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Workload anxiety. Period.  

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Like, I feel like if a teacher assigns me work and they're like, oh, you don't need finishes at home, it like it stresses me out because it's like I have unfinished work. Yeah. And it's like, I hate when teachers. I absolutely hate it when teachers do that, because it's like, I just want to go home and lay down for like two seconds before I have to go back up and do something again. But I can't even do that when I am having this, like lingering anxiety over like.  

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Work that's not even like assigned.  

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Yeah. So it sort of feels like you have things to do, but you're busy and.  

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I just a break. 

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I’m hearing that theme too. 

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Me. I'm not like, I won't say I'm busy, but as these upcoming weeks come, I will progressively get more busy and it's like, yeah, it's gonna be hard to manage schoolwork, clubs, social life.  

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So it sounds like there's worry about how will I do this?  

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Yeah. Not enough time. Exactly.  

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I agree, I say that every day. There's never enough hours in my day.  

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You need eight hours of sleep now, and it's darker outside. Also. 

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It's like. Like, it's like I get home at 830 and it's like, well, I'm not going to bed until ten. So I technically could do my work, but it's like it's late, I'm tired and I need to prioritize my sleep. I need a shower. I needed to pack my lunch and need to do stuff for tomorrow. And there goes an hour or so. Yeah. So, you know, it's 930 a half hour until I go to bed. I'm like, oh, I could probably get this done in a half hour, but it's like my body's shutting down. My brain is tired. I don't like my I can't I can't keep my eyes open. It's like. And then I wake up the next day.  

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Because I prioritized my own health over schoolwork. And now I have an assignment that's due first period. Yeah. Yeah.  

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Is it procrastination? Is that what that is, or is that something you feel like this is something different? Like you just needed this for my wellness. I needed a break. So you prioritized.  

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That. It's like I don't procrastinate. 

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So what do you what do you do in that sense then when you come to school the next day, if you. Because if the work's not done and then you're here at school. Well, how does that feel? 

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I have a study hall first period. So I don't have a class period, but I usually get stuff done. But it's like then I don't have anything to do. And so I don't know how to explain. It's like I always have something to do when I'm at home, but never when I'm at school. I feel unproductive at school because I get my work done on time, but then it's like, oh, well, you don't need to finish this. Like we'll, we'll finish this throughout the week. And it's like, but why can't I finish it now? And it just I don't know what it is. It just gives me anxiety and worry that like, I, it could be done and I could never have to think about it again and just relax.  

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But it's like, since I still have that thought in my head of work, it's like my brain won't relax.  

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It’s Looming.  

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Yeah.  

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Why don't you just.  

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Get the work done ahead of time, though?  

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I do. But it's like I don't know how to explain. It's like I could start something to start it and then.  

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But you have.  

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To feel like you have to finish.  

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It. I have to finish it. But then it's like, okay, well, if I start now, do this and then come back to it, then I can be productive and get more things done. But then it's like my body shuts down and it's like, I'm tired. Yeah. I'm tired.  

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Well, I think that also depends on how much workload you put onto yourself, like I do team coaching. I have two cheers and that takes up my night till 8 p.m. and then I have to shower. Like, I feel like it also depends on what you put on yourself. And I agree, like sometimes I shut down and I'm like, I can't do this anymore. And I decide I have to be productive in the morning. It's just hard to manage.  

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Um, like with testing anxiety.  

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I.  

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When I was a kid. Like when I was younger, I used.  

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To.  

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Be so, so, so anxious. Like, when I was a kid, I had so much anxiety. It was kind of weird because it's like, why are.  

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You, like.  

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Seven years old and you have so much anxiety? I don't know, I just used to be a really nervous kid. Um, and but I would never get nervous about tests because, um, I was.  

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I.  

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Felt.  

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Like when I was a kid, I was smart, and that doesn't make sense. But like, when, when you're in elementary school and it's easier for you to do things because you don't, the workload isn't as much and it's easier for you to understand.  

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Mhm.  

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Um, I don't want to say you don't have to.  

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Try as hard, but.  

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It's easier for to be proficient in elementary school than it is to be like proficient or advanced in high school because it all gets so much.  

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Harder.  

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Yeah. Um, yeah. You're not expecting.  

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Kindergartners first and second graders to go home and study for tests? Right? Right. That's not I mean, maybe spelling. Right. But but there's not much other than that.  

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Yeah, but I like, used.  

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To be able to.  

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Rely on my brain. Yeah.  

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Um, and.  

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My intelligence, I guess. I don't really know. And even now, now that it counts more and it kind of it matters a little more now, I still don't get anxious, even though I probably should be getting anxious because it matters. And it's important. Um, but I don't really get anxious during tests, and I don't. I try not to stress that much about schoolwork. It's not that I don't care about it, and it's not that I don't do it. I just like I need that time for myself to like when I go home, I  

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do things that I had to finish from school like that day. I don't do it at home because I need my time to be with myself and be at home and just not have to think, yeah. And so then I do it at school when I have study halls.  

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Because that's what.  

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You're studying for.  

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So you're keeping your priorities kind of in line and keeping it reasonable. Yeah.  

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So I kind of don't, going back, I don't really agree with the workload that you can just like lift it off, because I feel like I have a standard I have to uphold to and like taking this amount of classes, getting this much of a grade. And I know my parents don't care if I get a B or an A, but personally I do, just because I feel like, oh, it's normal for everyone to get an A, why don't you have an A, right?  

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Well, and so that speaks to our own personal goals, right? Just like we all study differently, I think we all have different expectations for what we want to accomplish with our grades. And then that then can determine the pressure that we do or don't put on ourselves.  

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Something I struggle with. I feel like when it comes to school and the workload is I sign up for everything and anything because I'm in a bunch of different music classes, I'm in a musical, I'm I have no study halls at all. So. So this is so you wake up at six, you go to school. I have chemistry first period. I Yes. And I'm always struggling to have chemistry first period because it's I have musicals and musical takes so much time because you go and you're there and you're exhausted and you're dancing and you have you have to have energy because it's you're putting on a show and then you come home sometimes at seven, sometimes at nine.  

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It depends on the week. Sometimes you're at school till seven every day sometimes. And I, I have a job and I work on the weekends. I have no nights to myself. So I have something every night till at least 7 or 5, and that doesn't leave much time for homework. By the time you get home. And the last thing you want to do when you get home is homework, because that's longer than a 12 hour day. You already had school for seven hours. Why do I want to go home, do this? And teachers just expect us to have this homework.  

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Like everybody's like, oh, it's just a little bit of homework, but it's not. It adds up every day and I'm always behind because if.  

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You're all giving me homework every single day. That's like five homework. Like it says, it's not like.  

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Sorry.  

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Um, going back to, like, what I was saying in, like, talking about with you. Yes, I, I completely agree with what you say too. I get like, both sides because I'm on both sides of it. Because I hold myself up to a standard that my parents are like, I have a 95% in a class, and I'm like, freaking out because I'm like, I want it higher because I set myself to such a high standard for myself. But at the same time, I know that like if I took four honors classes, I wouldn't be able to do that. Like, I know like I know where my limits are.  

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And I feel like that's also important that you know where your limits are to, but.  

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You also have to test those limits. But that's.  

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True, that's true, that's true.  

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And then I feel like you can't drop down from an honors to a regular personally just because like the workload is so different.  

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It is.  

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Yeah, the workload is different. But I, I always try to encourage students to, to take the challenging classes in the things that interest them. Yeah. Right. Like how you want to grow in the ways that I guess you want to. That you desire. Right?  

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I said this to every single person I knew. That was like taking AP. Like, was thinking about taking AP world. And I said, you just have to be committed like it. You just have to want to be good. You want to want. You have to have that want. You have to have the passion for that class. Because if you're not committed and you don't care about this at all, like you're gonna do bad because you're not trying.  

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You're gonna be miserable, too.  

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You're gonna.  

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Get.  

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It.  

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Right.  

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If you don't like, if you if you don't try, you don't like it, like it. You're not going to be happy and you're not. And it's just being miserable and doing bad in the class. I mean, those go hand in hand, and that's just gonna make you.  

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So don't take the AP just to take the AP.  

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Right? Take the AP if it's something you are interested.  

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In.  

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But.  

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Challenge yourself because challenging yourself helps you grow as a person. But also, um, just because. Because you set limits for yourself. For yourself. Excuse me. Setting limits for yourself doesn't make you dumb. It doesn't mean that you try any less hard than anybody else does. It's good to know where your limits are. And if you take class, or if you're.  

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Taking.  

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Two apps and you're like, I just don't think I can do another, that is fine. I said this, I think I said this before, but, um, you could take all the AP classes that this school offers, or you could take none. Yeah. It where you, where you end up is. I don't know. I don't know I don't know how to make sense of it. But like,  

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you don't have to be the smartest person in the room. And you don't have to be the overachiever. What you do is enough.  

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It's what you get out of the class. We're about out of time today, so thank you, everyone. We'll catch you next time.  

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Bye!