Typical horror stories often consist of ghosts, demons, zombies; maybe even the occasional killer clown. However, they aren’t strictly limited to the supernatural. Moments where your blood runs cold and your hairs stand up: all symptoms that the average high schooler experiences at least once a month. Whether it be because of a forgotten test, an alarm set to p.m. instead of a.m., or homework that never left the house, every student knows what it’s like to feel their heart drop.
The first day of school is especially stressful for everyone. It’s the one day where you strive to make everything perfect, to start off the school year on a good note. Still, unwanted setbacks always seem to find a way to pop up. Sophomore Beatrice Reichert had her morning planned down to her pair of socks, determined to avoid any mishaps. And, throughout her morning, she did, that is until it was time to leave. As her dad attempted to turn on the car, they both reached a horrible conclusion: it wouldn’t start. Thrown completely off-kilter, Reichert arrived ten minutes late, forced to hitch a ride with her mother. “I felt really stressed because everything had been going to plan,” Reichert said. “And then as soon as we were supposed to leave the car wouldn’t start.”
Though that’s a particularly unique situation, one of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of high school is undeniably tests. By the end of the first grading period, most students easily fall into their routine of review (or last minute cramming), but what do you do when you realize you studied the wrong material entirely? Unfortunately, tenth grader Leah Hsu learned the hard way. Seventy minutes into her math test, she was still staring at blank questions and erase marks. When the bell finally rang, she had no choice but to accept her fate. “I studied everything but what was actually on the test,” Hsu said.
Sometimes, the grade is not the only thing that can be scary. At least a bad test score can be safely hidden away in Infinite Campus. When a teacher publicly reveals results though, even anonymously, the entire situation immediately shifts. Olive Jotham, sophomore, witnessed her teacher openly read out each grade, and worst of all, single out her score in particular. “I thought it was over with,” Jotham said. “Then our teacher announced someone had a really bad grade.”
No high schooler has a perfect month, let alone a perfect year. Kids slip up and mistakes happen. Though each of these experiences are daunting, they create character, teaching important lessons for the future.
