![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
A new semester offers a fresh start, but for many students, it also presents marked changes in their lives. While some adjust easily, others find the transition challenging.
Although most students do not notice any extreme differences between the two semesters, the class of 2013 has long been anticipating the start of the new semester.
“Being a second semester senior is fantastic. I love the freedom and the lower amounts of stress that [come] with it,” Piyush Prasad (12) said.
From supporting classmates at sports games to lounging around in the Sledge, many seniors have more opportunities to de-stress now that college applications are out of the way. Since the new semester offers more leisure, some students find it difficult to continue focusing on their studies.
“It’s very relaxing, but it’s also tough for me to motivate myself to do work,” Joshua Tien (12) said.
While the seniors have just finished college counseling, the juniors were given a general overview at their first meeting on Tuesday. Exploring topics such as SAT’s and college visits, the students reviewed the given handouts and took notes while the counselors informed them of the details about the application process.
“I think that the college counselors are very nice, but just the idea of college is heavy on your thoughts,” Aaron Lee (11) said.
The class of 2014 will continue to attend college counseling meetings during extra help every Tuesday to receive guidance on how to apply to their dream schools.
Even though there are not major changes for the underclassmen, some students believe that they are beginning this semester with a heavier workload than last year and that teachers are less lenient than before.
“It already feels more challenging than semester one because our teachers expect us to be more comfortable with our classes,” Matthew Huang (10) said.
Similarly, Helen Wu (10) believes that the teachers have higher standards during the second semester.
“It’s more difficult because they give a lot of assignments which they expect to be done with the highest quality,” Helen said. “Since I have more extracurricular activities like the dance show and music competitions, I have less time to do work, but it’s still expected to be better.”
In addition to the regular assessments assigned by teachers, students have also started to prepare for other exams that occur near the end of the school year, such as math and science Olympiads and AP tests.
History teacher Mark Janda expects “a growing anxiety as AP exams approach,” but he believes that the students can all achieve their goals.
As the semester progresses, students will be continuing their academic work, participating in school events, and even receiving college acceptance letters.
