“[I’m nervous] because I’m not used to IB skill. It’s harder than I thought it would be,” junior Yanira Guerra said.

Guerra believes that IB classes are different than what she is used to and that adapting to the increased workload is not an easy task.

Athletes, on the other hand, have alternative motives to their delirium. Some dread punishments they will receive from their coaches if their grades are not up to par.

“Yes, [I’m nervous about interims], because coaches make us run if we have bad grades,” senior Tyler Schwartz said.

Athletes tend to blame their teachers’ grading policies. Some teachers have compassion for the otherwise engaged; others are the no-funny-business type.

In contrast, many teachers feel that grades are directly related to a student’s effort in class.

“[For] some of them, I’m disappointed because they don’t do their homework,” French teacher Joelle Rudney said.  “One of my students tells me ‘nobody ever checks blackboard’ and I make a face [at them].”

Rudney believes that interims are beneficial to a student’s improvement.

“They know what’s going on, and they have another four weeks to make up for it.”