A New Year is incomplete without the buzz of students discussing their resolutions and excitement for a new beginning. Whether it’s improving spending habits or indulging in a brand-new diet, the new year promises a fresh start for every student. For Emery seniors, the beginning of this semester also marks the near end of their high school careers. To enjoy every moment of their last semester, seniors have come back to school with their own resolutions: making these final months the best and most meaningful ones yet.
Being so close to the graduation finish line comes with pros and cons. While the second semester promises a future of exclusive privileges, like Senior Investigator and the famous trip abroad in May, students also have to extinguish the rapid-fire spread of “senioritis.” Senior Daniel Gordon’s number one resolution is to “avoid burnout as much as possible.” He is still waiting to hear back from a number of schools and wants to “continue having a relentless pursuit of determination” until he can relieve that stress. To create a balance of work and play, Gordon hopes to be with his friends as often as he can before parting ways in the fall.
A new semester doesn’t mean that seniors have to create a life entirely from scratch since there are plenty of habits students want to bring with them into 2025. Senior Natalie Bublil prides herself on being “committed to studying and avoiding procrastination at home” which brought her great success last semester. To achieve her goal of avoiding the Calculus II final exam, Bublil knows she must “work hard and not lose any precious study skills.” Senior Byron Strug also plans to keep up his hard work this semester so he can carry his admirable work ethic into college. “Mr. Hatch says how you end anything is how you start the next thing, and I want to start college on the right foot,” explains Strug.
Having gone through the triumphs and tribulations of high school, the senior class has more wisdom than people realize. Bublil wishes she could tell her younger self to “work hard but cut yourself some slack. Don’t make everything stressful.” To try and bring some passion into your everyday routines and alleviate stress, Strug recommends setting time aside to find subjects and hobbies that bring you joy. School will not feel redundant if you “find ways to incorporate your interests and hobbies into academic settings.” Finding what you’re passionate about is a jarring concept, so to help navigate a student through that process, Gordon advises students to “take advantage of all of the incredible connections within the Emery community.” Although reaching out to a stranger can be daunting, “people are more willing to help out than you think,” so take a chance and see for yourself where one email to an Emery alumni or parent can take you.
Today, the class of 2025 has only six more months to create a legacy here at Emery – one that makes them proud. A year from now, these seniors will be living across the country, accomplishing wonderful things, and leaving their mark on the world. Though every Emery student is unique, there is one resolution that they can all agree on: making the last semester of high school legendary.
