As Amador students return to school for the new semester, many found it difficult to immediately switch back to their old school-time rhythm. In particular, it takes time for students to refamiliarize themselves with getting to class before the bell and staying organized with assignments.
“I didn’t really prepare much for coming back to school, but I think I adjusted to the school-time rhythm pretty quickly in terms of school work and routine. I haven’t really adjusted to waking up early, though,” said Rubie Liu (‘25).
The new semester is also a chance for students to discover and try different planning systems. Such systems can apply to study habits, work ethics, sleep schedules, and more.
“I’m not fully used to being back at school yet. But it’s my second semester senior year, so I’m sort of finding my new rhythm, like sleeping in a bit more or something.” said Ishan Joshi (‘24).
Teachers also have an impact on how smoothly students transition out of winter break. Given that the semester started with a three-day week, most classes were relatively relaxed, which takes one more potential stressor off students’ backs.
“I think most of my teachers are pretty reasonable in terms of school work on the first week back. But I know some teachers do dump a bunch of assignments immediately, which does make it kind of stressful,” said Liu (‘25).
For the most part, however, the school-time rhythms and time management return as naturally as muscle memory. Many students feel as if there never was a two-week break between the two semesters and have already settled into their usual paces.
“It still just feels like any other day at school. There’s nothing really different about it. Besides that I’m kind of having a hard time waking up early again, I’ll probably be back in school-mode in a few more days,” said Irayna Lin (‘24).
