school – Strings of Thought

The Labors of Finals Week

This year, a new experience for me was finals week, where you get tested on all the material from the first semester in all of your classes. At first, it felt really overwhelming, navigating how to study for seven classes while also doing the homework they assigned. I struggled with figuring out how to divide my time between classes and trying to determine which classes needed the most attention. It felt exhausting a lot of the time, but when everything was over, I felt really accomplished that I had gotten through my first semester and my first finals week.

One thing I enjoyed about finals was how students came together to study and support each other. There were many impromptu sessions during finals week where we explained concepts to each other and quizzed each other. It felt really nice to both aid others with the material and receive help when I was confused. These study sessions made finals week less stressful and helped me keep in mind that I was not the only one in this.

One challenge was the amount of work each teacher gave us during the week of and the week before finals. They recognized out loud that we have seven classes to study for and we had numerous projects to work on, yet they continued assigning work so they could finish their own curriculum. This created a heavy workload for the students, and many of us were not able to balance studying for the finals with the projects everyone assigned. I believe students would do much better on finals if teachers took into consideration the amount of work they assigned and the number of classes each student had to study for.

Another challenge was sitting through each of the tests for two hours. It was difficult, at least for me, in some classes to sit through the same format of tests over and over again for two hours straight. In my opinion, it helped a lot if the teachers had different styles and formats of questions on their tests because it kept my brain engaged, as it continued changing as the test progressed.

Starting to study three weeks before the final was extremely beneficial, even though I could have started before. Studying with my friends and asking my teachers about the final also helped immensely.

When I started studying, I was taken aback by the sheer amount of material we were supposed to study. I split the content into chunks and planned out what I would study each day, where I would take notes, and how I would review the notes. Due to this, I was able to finish reviewing the material properly by the day of the final. Additionally, if I did not understand something, I would consult one of my friends, and we would make a fun study session out of it. This allowed us to continue learning while also staying engaged and having fun. Asking my teachers questions about the finals themselves was also really beneficial because a lot of my teachers did not tell us the details of the final until I asked them. This allowed me to focus on what to study for and to be mentally prepared for the type of test I was going to be taking.

Overall, this was a very beneficial experience, and it has helped me understand how I am going to approach finals in the future. I learned how to study efficiently and effectively, and now I feel more confident going into finals week.

Echoes of Aletheia

What Happened

This week has been one of the most stressful and nerve-wracking weeks of my life, and it’s not even because of the workload. Some backstory: I worked on this one essay for four days, and I ended up getting a zero on it because it was flagged for AI. My teacher’s and the website’s case: too much copy-pasting.

And she wasn’t wrong; there was a lot of copy-pasting, but it wasn’t from AI. Our middle school teachers used to tell us that as a precaution, whenever you do a big assignment, put it through AI detection websites to check if it shows up as AI or not. Just in case, you know. I did this exact thing with this essay, but I copied and pasted it into the AI checker and pasted the same thing back onto my essay, which I shouldn’t have done. In my version history, it may have shown up as a “large copy-paste,” causing the website to look at it as AI, even though it wasn’t.

Another thing that happened was that I was using a grammar checker to check for spelling and grammar errors. But somewhere in the middle, it started suggesting rewrites to advertise a ‘pro’ plan. I stupidly accepted them without checking what they said, and that’s what made my essay show up as both copy-pasting and AI.

What I Think About It

In the end, all my work showed up as a lot of AI, and my teacher is not ready to believe me that I did not use it because the website has so much evidence against me. It honestly felt horrible to see days of work dismissed as a zero so quickly. I understand why my teacher reacted that way — from her perspective, it looks clear-cut. But what I think is that these websites cannot be blindly trusted, which is what my teacher might be doing. If you put one essay through 10 different AI checkers, it can range anywhere from 0% to 100%, which just proves how varying and inaccurate they can be.

What I Learned

The main lesson I learned from this is not to touch AI or even think about it, even in the form of grammar checks. If I want to do a grammar check, I can use the feature built into Google Docs, not any external website or extension. Also, I am definitely not going to even touch my Ctrl C and Ctrl V keys during any of these assignments. Another thing I learned is that the websites that teachers use for these types of essays do very thorough checks of everything, including version history, similarity to other students, plagiarism from websites, and AI language.

I know why this happened, and it was partially my fault, but I feel very helpless and frustrated, because it was a misunderstanding and complete stupidity on my part. Because everything looked so clear from my teacher’s side, she decided to give me a zero on this assignment, which has impacted my grade a lot.

On the positive side, it is good that this happened in my freshman year. If I have a low grade in this semester and a high grade in other semesters of English, then it will show up as movement, not a random bad grade in the middle of nowhere. I’m glad this happened now, when I can learn from it, rather than later when it could’ve mattered more. If anything, I hope other students can learn from this and avoid making the same mistake that I did 😊.

Navigating the Labyrinth: High School Survival Tips

High school can sometimes feel like a never-ending obstacle course, and having the right strategy makes all the difference. That’s why I decided to share some tips I’ve learned in just one month.

Do Your Work on Time

This may seem obvious, but you won’t believe how many students procrastinate. At first, it might feel fine: “I’ll do it later, I have two weeks.” But then more assignments pile up, and that one task slowly sinks to the bottom until you suddenly remember it the night before it’s due—and end up staying up until 1 AM to finish it. As you can probably guess, that completely ruins the next day, especially if you aren’t used to staying up late.

Instead, do your work on time and save your sanity. If you have free class time, don’t play video games—use it to finish homework instead. Another tip: use a planner to map out assignments and deadlines. Having a clear plan prevents that “What do I have to do again?” panic and helps you stay on top of things.

Eat and Sleep Well

Another obvious tip, but seriously important. Many students these days (me and my friends included 😅) sleep at 1:30 and wake up at 5 for last-minute studying or making sure everything is perfect. It might feel productive at the moment, but it catches up to you fast. Your brain gets foggy, focus disappears, and the grade you’re chasing might not even improve. Research shows teens need 8–10 hours of sleep a night—no wonder we feel like zombies without it.

Sleep isn’t the only factor—what you eat matters too. In high school, you’re constantly running between classes, sports, clubs, and other activities. Your body needs fuel, and without it, energy crashes, focus fades, and even your favorite subjects start feeling like chores. Staying healthy keeps your brain sharp so you can actually do your best, instead of just surviving.

Choose Your Friends Wisely

This one is huge, and I learned it quickly. Pick people you connect with—friends you can really talk to and rely on. They affect your mood, motivation, and habits. Some should push you to do your best, while others pull you out of the “everyone-is-racing” mindset. A mix of friends who make you laugh, calm you down, and challenge you a little is perfect.

Sometimes a small, supportive group is better than a big, chaotic one. And don’t be afraid to step back from friendships that drain your energy. The right friends make high school less stressful and more fun—it’s as simple as that.

High school is hectic, but a little planning, healthy habits, and a strong support system go a long way. Start with these tips, and you’ll feel more in control of the chaos than you might expect. Also, more tips coming soon 😉.

The Curse of Sisyphus

We have all heard the story of Sisyphus: the mortal cursed to push a boulder up a mountain, only for it to roll back down as soon as it reached the top. Sometimes, this is exactly what high school feels like. Just like Sisyphus, we are tasked with an impossible goal: being perfect. Perfect grades, perfect activities, a flawless transcript—the list never ends. While it’s important to do well, perfection is a stretch.

The pressure to be perfect comes from every direction—grades, extracurriculars, parents, peers, and even ourselves. We’re always comparing test scores and silently competing to see who can get the best grades. Sometimes, it even feels like a contest to see who can survive on the least amount of sleep. Somewhere along the way, it starts to feel as if you aren’t the best, you aren’t enough. That’s the hidden reality behind the polished surface of high school life.

It’s an endless cycle of achievements. You study for a test and do well, but instead of relief, you feel pressure to do even better next time. Then it starts all over again. Like Sisyphus, the moment you reach the top, the boulder rolls back down, leaving you exhausted but expected to keep pushing.

I’ve definitely put that pressure on myself, too. In science class once, I earned some extra credit. The teacher said there wouldn’t be any other chances, so I became obsessed with turning in perfect assignments. I spent hours making sure every detail was right. When I eventually lost one point on an assignment, my grade dropped to 100%, and instead of feeling proud, I was disappointed. Most people would’ve been thrilled just to have that grade at all.

Chasing perfection like this comes at a cost. We lose sight of what really matters: the joy of learning, pride in small achievements, and even the fun in group projects and hobbies. Stress and burnout pile up. Even subjects we enjoy start to feel like chores. No matter how hard we push, expectations roll back down the hill, leaving us tired and unsatisfied.

There is another side, though. When we focus on doing our best in a balanced way, striving for excellence can feel natural rather than exhausting. Spending time on assignments can actually help us understand the material better, prepare for tests, and build confidence in what we can do. It also teaches discipline, time management, and attention to detail.

The challenge is knowing when to stop. Going too far can quickly lead to stress and burnout. The key is figuring out what really matters, recognizing when an assignment deserves full effort, and when it’s okay to settle for “good enough.” This mindset makes bigger projects and tests feel less intimidating and reminds us that excellence isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up, giving your best, and learning from your mistakes.

Even when the pressure feels endless, it doesn’t have to control us. Like Sisyphus, we can’t stop the boulder from rolling entirely, but we can choose how we push it—finding balance, celebrating small wins, and remembering why we’re here: to learn, grow, and enjoy the journey, even when the boulder keeps rolling back.

The Four Fates of High School

One of the first things I realized about high school is that all teachers have their own styles, and you have to adjust to them fast. So far, I’ve identified four types: the super particular one, the too-nice one, the one who goes off on tangents, and the teacher who talks way too slow.

I have this one teacher who is very particular about everything. She has everything color-coded, sources for every detail, and checks every word in your assignment. Honestly, though, I like these types of teachers because at least you know exactly what they expect, and you can edit your work to match. And you can actually learn something. That’s definitely better than the teacher who’s too nice to tell you what you’re doing wrong.

The too-nice teacher tries so hard to make everyone happy that just showing up feels like an achievement. She’s the sweetest person on Earth, but my class takes advantage of her constantly. She gets frustrated but won’t show it because she’s afraid of hurting feelings. Honestly, I think she’d be more effective if she reprimanded people more instead of letting us run the show.

Then there’s the tangent teacher. You learn about the subject maybe half the time, and the other half is their life story. It’s entertaining, and sometimes the class feels more like story hour than a lesson. But it’s also frustrating when a test is coming up, and instead we’re hearing about the time they spent three hours waiting in line at Disneyland.

And finally, the slow talker. We should get an A+ in that class just because we can stay awake. On the first day, they told us to write our names on index cards. But by the time they added, “If it’s the same as your preferred name, leave it blank,” we’d all already finished writing and were halfway through erasing. And the worst part is, this is one of my hardest classes, so if I zone out for even a second, I’m failing the next test.

At the end of the day, surviving high school means figuring out your teachers’ styles and adjusting fast. High school isn’t just about the subjects; it’s about learning to balance and adapt to all kinds of people, teachers included.

Pandora’s Phone

Just like Pandora’s box, our phones hold both gifts and challenges. In high school and life, knowing how to navigate them is key.

Phones have practically become the symbol of our generation. If you ask someone to describe teens, chances are they’ll say: moody, changing, and glued to their phones.

Honestly, fair enough. We are the first generation to grow up with phones, and with that come big benefits and some major setbacks.

Phones make school life easier: instant communication, quick access to information, last-minute class updates, and organizing group projects fast. But as helpful as they are, they can also be incredibly distracting, especially when time is tight.

Apps like Instagram and TikTok are designed to keep us scrolling. Seeing everyone’s perfectly curated lives can make it easy to compare ourselves and feel like we are not enough. In high school, where everyone is trying to fit in, that pressure can feel even heavier. So much happens online, from group chats to drama, that face-to-face conversations can start to feel awkward and stressful.

On a bigger scale, overusing phones can affect mental and physical health, causing anxiety, sleep problems, and shorter attention spans. They can lower productivity, create social isolation, and even lead to privacy and safety concerns.

And, this isn’t just something I’ve read about, I’ve seen it happen around me, and sometimes I fall into the same trap. In previous years, I’ve watched classmates skip class, ignore instructions, or waste valuable learning time just to check their phones. Maybe to post a dance, text friends, or play a game.

I’ve also been guilty myself. Many times when I don’t feel like starting a task, I just open YouTube and start scrolling, even though I know I’m not using my time well. Eventually, I get back to my task, but that time is gone forever.

Phones are not all bad, and they are definitely not going anywhere. But finding balance, knowing when they help us and when they hurt us, is becoming more important than ever. At the end of the day, phones are just tools. How we use them can make our lives easier or a lot more complicated.

Harmonia – Goddess of Balance

As I mentioned in the first post, I wasn’t sure what high school would be like, stressful or fun. After my first week, I can definitely tell you it is a mix of both. This week, I got my first taste of high school. To sum it up, it was a lot different from middle school. There were more people, more classes, and definitely more responsibilities.

From the first day, it was clear that high school expects you to be far more responsible and independent. The teachers also made it clear that they will not give you as much leeway as they did in middle school. I was prepared for this, but I did not expect them to be so strict about it.

In the coming months, I expect there to be a lot more pressure and expectations put on everyone’s shoulders. I can already see that some of my friends think they need to be perfect to survive. The quietest kids in class are raising their hands and answering questions, just to get that one participation point and get in the teacher’s good books. In my opinion, it is a bit weird and off-putting how everyone is so eager and overzealous all of a sudden. Even though I do think that it is important to be on top of your game, I don’t believe you have to be the teacher’s pet.

I learned that clear communication is essential, especially when it comes to being respectful of others’ feelings. When I joined the water polo team on my first day of school, I knew my schedule wouldn’t allow it, but I went ahead anyway. After a few exhausting practices, I realized I needed to step back. I decided to email the coach to explain that I needed to focus on my commitments without sounding rude or like I was quitting. It took me 30 minutes to craft the perfect message. The coach suggested I try for another week, but I had already made my decision. Saying no kindly became a challenge, but I knew it was the right choice for me.

And while there’s definitely a lot of pressure, there are fun and exciting parts too. One of my favorite moments this week was getting to know my teachers and seeing how each of them runs their class. Everyone has such different personalities and teaching styles, which makes the whole experience feel new and unpredictable in a good way.

Overall, my first week was full of challenges and discoveries. I only got lost twice on the campus 😂. I got to meet a lot of new people and reconnect with my friends. If my first week is anything like the rest of the school year, I know there will be a lot of ups and downs, but they will be full of learning and new experiences.