J-Schoolers Ask, Seniors Answer!

Q: How bad is the homework, and how do you manage all of it?

–Anonymous ’28

Rachael Huang: Whenever I have free time during the day, I try to get at least part of my homework done. The weekend is a great opportunity to work ahead, so that you’re not swamped with work throughout the week. Also, I use my planner pretty religiously.

Rhea Ahuja: A lot of teachers are considerate about homework. Talk to your teachers and don’t be afraid to go and meet with them. There’s always somebody who doesn’t know what’s going on, so don’t think that you’re stupid. It happens to everyone. Try to also enjoy it. That way, you’ll find it easier than it really is.

Amy Metrick: Listen to music while doing homework. Do it with friends (I suggest the outdoor library patio). Also, some of the homework is fun! I promise it’s not all bad.

Q: Are you more focused on getting good grades or learning the actual material? –Anonymous ’27

Dhalia Brelsford: It depends. If I’m super into the class, then I’d want to learn the mate-
rial. I’m a science kid, so I really liked my AP Biology class and the learning aspect of it.

Kyle Holler: In most of my classes, unless the teacher specifically makes grades
not a top priority, I am very much focused on the grades rather than the learning.

Rachael Huang: For some classes, it’s a mixture of both. But for class-
es I don’t particularly like, I’m more focused on getting a good

grade, which makes it harder for me to retain the material afterwards.

Q: How do you deal with stress? –Eliot Atlee ’27

Rhea Ahuja: I spend time with my parents and go on walks. If you spend all your time indoors, it gets too suffocating, so I like going outside and momentarily removing myself from everything that’s going on.

Will Schroth-Douma: I sleep a lot over the weekend!

Dhalia Brelsford: Sometimes, I like watching TV or listening to fun music while I do work. If I’m in the middle of a math problem, and I’m getting stressed over how I’m not getting anywhere, I have to zone out and take a step back to jam to my music or sing some High School Musical really loudly.

Joy Xu: I prioritize my downtime by spending time with my friends, especially during lunch, where we’ll always have a good laugh. It’s important to find balance in your life. Don’t spend all your time in the lower library — get outside, play some sports in the gym, go see your friends, or pull up your favorite TV show if you need some alone time.

Q: What is the meaning of life? Has being a senior helped you find it? –Anonymous ’28

Amy Metrick: Life is short. Spend it with your family and friends, and do the things you love.

Dhalia Brelsford: The meaning of life is 42.

Kyle Holler: Live in the present. Don’t worry too much about the future because everything will turn out fine. Focus on hanging out with friends, spending time doing things you enjoy.

Joy Xu: There was a Hopkins Body Positivity poster [on campus] that had the quote, “Those who are the happiest make the most of what they have.” How you experience life has to do with how you look at it, which is why I always try to look at things from an optimistic view.

Q: How does high school compare to 7th and 8th grade? Any major differences? –Jackson Murphy ’28

Rachael Huang: You have more added responsibilities. Extracurriculars, such as clubs, can add more work on top of your typical academic workload and after school athletics.

Amy Metrick: I would say confidence is the biggest difference. When you’re younger and figuring out who you want to be, by the time you get to senior year, you’ll have a much better grasp of that and feel much more comfortable about being yourself.

Kyle Holler: You have more freedom, and you should definitely make use of that. I’d also say friend groups are pretty different, since middle school and some parts of high school were clique-y, but, later in high school, you can meet anybody and become friends with them.

Q: Do you like the community here at Hopkins? What do you like about it? –Luannie Wang ’28

Will Schroth-Douma: I love the people here. We all bond in our shared stress and anxiety, so even with people who I don’t particularly interact with, we still have something in common, which makes the community here at Hopkins pretty unique and meaningful.

Joy Xu: I love the Hopkins community. Seeing people encourage each other to dress up for Spirit Week and waving to somebody they don’t know in the hallways really showed the sense of community that has fostered here at Hopkins. Our community is really coming together again after we came back from the pandemic.

Rhea Ahuja: I think a lot of people really like being here, which leads them to trying to improve it. I see this a lot on Diversity Board, and everyone’s trying to have their clubs do as much as possible to make Hopkins a better place and help the school contribute to the greater New Haven community as well.