As students at the Baccalaureate School for Global Education settle into the new school year, new connections emerge between the 12th and 7th grades, despite the apparent differences in their experiences. While seniors prepare for the final goodbye to this familiar chapter in their lives, they reflect on the culmination of years of academic and personal growth, with pressures of college applications, and IB requirements from coursework to community service. The 7th graders, however, are only one year into their middle school journey, starting new stages at a new school, forming friendships, and handling new academic expectations. Given these differences, both grades share similar efforts in finding their footing and managing their own challenges ahead, united in their shared journey through the obstacles faced and to be faced.
For 7th grader Reenn Ho, the expectations of this school are challenging her to keep her grades up. While focusing on maintaining high grades for the rest of the school year, Reenn hopes to have fun field trips throughout the year and enjoy any event that gives away free items. She believes that high school will bring additional demands, especially key exams such as the SAT.
A similar dilemma is expressed by another 7th grader who speaks on the challenges of keeping up with weekly quizzes and tests. They highlight the necessity of balancing academics and extracurricular activities. Emma Depontsang agrees, stating that time management is her most difficult tack as she combines homework and classwork. Despite these struggles, both look forward to school dances, door decorating events, and organizing fun trip locations like Six Flags.
All three state the academic importance of consistency and avoiding any possible drama. Emma specifically advises to maintain IB 6s and 7s and Reenn adds that studying should be done every day. As they look ahead to 12th grade, all express uncertainty and anticipation, imagining themselves to study more and maturing. They believe they would be better equipped for responsibilities like the IB courses and recognize the difference between middle school and high school.
For seniors Chhaheda Khan, Asma Aouissi, and another senior, the journey through high school has been both thrilling and bittersweet, marked by intense pressure and personal growth. All three agree that the hardest part is balancing college applications with the constant demands of schoolwork, rarely leaving any room for free time.
All of them also agree that Spirit Week has been their favorite tradition throughout the years. One senior hopes for more school trips, feeling left out on experiences that other grades have made.
Asma is concentrating on improving time management, as she feels the weight of responsibility growing each year. Another senior aims to manage their time better by scheduling through a calendar. Chhaheda is motivated to end high school on a high note and gain admission to the college of her choice.
For students entering the 12th grade in the future, all three stress the value of time management and staying on top of assignments, especially for college applications. Chhaheda mentions the importance of balancing a happy personal life with a strong school life. Asma explains how high school changed her mentality for the better, teaching her to work hard to achieve what she wanted in the future. Another senior included that teachers are much more supportive than they often appear and are only there to guide and support students. Looking back at their 7th-grade selves, they’d reassure them that while high school may be challenging, it will also shape them into the person they will become and that it is all worth it in the end.
As the 12th graders say goodbye to their high school years, they take with them precious lessons in persistence and friendship, the 7th graders enter a world full of new opportunities and challenges. Together, they remind us that every step of the road, with its ups and downs, eventually defines who we are, making it all worthwhile.
