As the first quarter works its way to an end and a four day weekend, students at AHS consider what they have done well and what they could have done better. As the shortest quarter of the year, and the busiest for most kids, the first quarter proves to be a daunting one. Students struggle to complete work that was meant to be finished over the summer, work on science fair projects and still do the everyday homework given by teachers.

Adding to that, a good 30 percent of AHS students participate in school activities and find it difficult to still do well in the academics. Brook Tamir, a sophomore at AHS and a cross country runner said, “I did not manage to finish all my work.”

Some students, however, feel that because it is early into the year, it is okay to slack off because they can make up for the work later. This idea is certainly pervasive in the senior class, where a bad case of “senioritis” can result in dropping grades and a plummeting effort in sports and clubs.

The first quarter brought many stresses to not only students, but teachers as well, as they struggled to grade work on time. The new AHS physics teacher this year, Kay Lafate said, “I would clone myself, but the county doesn’t have enough money.”

Although many people had a hard time getting through first quarter, a few felt it went pretty smooth. Kelly Roman, junior, who is also new to Annandale this year, said “I think the first quarter has been pretty good, but since I’m new here, I’m adjusting.”

Although the beginning of the year may have gone well for some and terrible for others, it is important to maintain stability if you are already doing well, or focus on improving grades and participation in extracurricular activities, whether it is by getting organized, staying after to complete work, or asking for help.