Student life: A new semester
In high school, for those who did not already know, our year is cut into two semesters. We have a minimum of four classes per semester, although we do have the option to take online courses.
From my understanding, the reason our system works this way is to give students more time out of class to get work done. These blocks are referred to as OCs (open centres) and are usually spent in assigned classrooms. One could compare the system to the way universities work.
However, the transition from the first semester to the next can catch us off guard. It is like the first day of school again, except perhaps a little less chaotic and nerve-wracking.
We're given our schedules and then we are off to find our new classes. For unlucky students, schedules can be double booked or they could be given the wrong room number, which can be a bit stressful.
With the first few days of a semester comes many embarrassing moments. Going into a new class can be a bit awkward. You may not know where to sit, you are nervous in general or you don't even know if you are in the right class.
This brings me to perhaps one of a student’s biggest fears: ending up in the wrong classroom, which tends to happen especially for students who are new to the school.
Hallways are foreign and numbers on the walls that mark them are even more so. It is easy to become confused and be mistaken. Yet, for peace of mind, all the awkwardness and uncomfortable aspects soon pass once we find our bearings.
Apart from first-day jitters, we still have new courses and an entire semester to look forward to. Some may look at it as just more work and school, but it could be considered a fresh start.
We have that breath to prepare ourselves for studies, we have new people to meet and new things to learn.
For those who are new to high school, the first semester will have been their learning curve and the second semester is their chance to stay organized and be more confident in what they are doing.
This semester should mark an exciting new beginning and we should look forward to our courses and the new peers we will get to know. The awkward bits will not matter in the end and we should just focus on learning.
Macy How is a grade 10 student at Brooks Secondary School.
