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Health & Fitness

Here We Go Again ...

School started Monday. We're only four days into it and I'm already wishing for summer vacation. But whether or not we're ready, it's time to jump back into all that work!

As I'm sure all of you are aware, Monday was the first day of school. For me, though, it was particularly special: it was my LAST first day of school. I got to school at 7 a.m. for the Senior Breakfast on the front lawn, where I got to reconnect with my classmates over bagels and coffee. It felt surreal. I couldn't believe that after the last three years, my friends and I had finally made it to our senior year! I couldn't wait for this awesome school year to start!

This enthusiasm was very short lived. By the time school got out at 2 p.m., I was done with school. The rest of the week hasn't been that much better. Only 172 (I think that's the right number?) days to go. Awesome!

I think that the reason I burn out so quickly has to do with the school's use of block scheduling. For those who might not know what that is, block scheduling is where you go to half of your classes on one day (like periods 1, 3, and 5) and the other half the next day (periods 2, 4, and 6). As a result of this schedule, the first day of each class is like the first two days. The teacher explains what to expect in the course for the first half of the class, and then for the second half you start working. I have already done one physics lab, taken notes in math, and written an essay on my summer reading.

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Then there's the homework. Remember back when the assignments during the first week of school were just to have your parents sign the course syllabus? Well, now you have real homework to go with it! On Monday, I spent about four hours on nine pages of math homework, not to mention another hour on work assigned in other classes. Four hours, and on the first day of school! Thanks for giving me so much time to adjust, everybody!

I know that I shouldn't complain, since I did choose the classes that I'm taking. I'm taking four APs and one honors class, which is a lot for a senior. But it's what I feel like I have to do to get into college. And besides, most seniors I know are doing the same thing.

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The funny thing about Monday was that I felt that I hadn't been gone for the last nine weeks. As I walked out of school, I felt like I had been doing this already for two months, not a few days. Summer vacation seemed like it had happened so long ago. But on the bright side, if summer seemed to fly by so fast, maybe the school year will, too. But I don't really want the year to go by so fast. After all, even if it's crazy and stressful, I know that I'm going to miss it when it's over. I hope that my senior year will be as good as I've been hoping it's going to be!

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