![“[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)
One week before finals exams, students on campus are already tense with anticipation. Many are finding different ways to prepare for the tests, whether it be studying through Google Docs, group chats, or handwritten notes.
Along with the late-night study sessions come various amounts of stress. Many students experience panic while staring at their mountainous stack of textbooks. Some people choose to push off their worry.
“The stress doesn’t usually sink into me until the week before. Then, I usually listen to music while I study or rant to people,” Archana Podury (10) said.
With the large amount of stress placed upon them, students have found various ways to cope with their panic. Some students have already started studying for their finals, carefully splitting up their study time into blocks. Teachers also help out, suggesting study techniques for their students.
“I tell my students to split their schedule up and study each subject in breaks. It saves them more time,” chemistry teacher Dr. Smriti Koodanjeri said.
However, students such as Andre Tran (12), president of Spirit Club, believe that fun, light-hearted class competitions such as gingerbread house making on the Wednesday long lunch before finals would relieve the tension of exams.
“It takes student’s minds off things for a little while. It’s a chance to not worry about school for an hour and a half,” he said.
With finals rapidly approaching, many students turn to their friends, classmates, and teachers to aid them with studying, while others prefer to ease their stress with fun, spirited class events. In either situation, those burdened with finals often step back for a little while to take a breath and enjoy time for themselves.
