Seniors and ninth-graders: the two traditionally polar groups of the school. It’s a new year, and while seniors are looking forward to the start of their final few months at Bronx Science and all the fun activities that come with new beginnings, the ninth graders are taking a look at their first midyear exams and what’s to come in the rest of their plentiful years in high school. 

Ashley Bao ’20 expresses her joy as a senior looking forward to everything the new year has to offer. “I can finally stop worrying so much about school and spend more time on my hobbies,” said Bao. She is looking forward to senior activities such as spork wars, pranks, and signing yearbooks. Her current experiences and lifestyle are very different from when she was a ninth-grader. “During my first year, I had five separate color-coded and organized binders and no clue which food trucks are which, and now, I know how to do homework more efficiently, I show up to school with one notebook and no pencils, and I know pretty much all the prices for the different food trucks.” Bao speaks from personal experiences and advises the ninth-graders to be especially careful when it comes to taking AP classes. 

Gidget Rosen ’20 is also very excited about the new year and second term. She’s looking forward to everyone getting into college and being generally more relaxed. “I feel a lot more comfortable at Bronx Science now that I’ve made so many incredible friends and had so many wonderful experiences. I feel a lot more confident than I used to, and all of this makes me a lot more happy to go into school every morning,” said Rosen.

On the other end of the spectrum, Tasmia Afrin ’23 has a different perspective.  “I would want to find my place in this school and join as many clubs as possible [in my next three years of high school],” said Afrin. She was nervous about her upcoming midterms and other exams that are quickly approaching in the new year. One thing Afrin knows for sure is that she will try to remain positive amidst all the coursework in the second term. 

Helena Uceda ’23 has also set forth goals for the second semester, to study more and to get more sleep. She also knows to stop procrastinating and to try harder in all her classes. “It’s been a habit of mine since middle school, and it’s getting harder and harder to maintain,” she said. Uceda also wants to go to bed earlier during this new term because when she doesn’t get enough sleep, it affects her performance in school the next day. 

In this new year, the seniors and ninth-graders are bound to have different experiences. While the seniors like Ashley Bao and Gidget Rosen are going to enjoy their senior opportunities like college acceptances and prom, ninth-graders like Tasmia Afrin and Helena Uceda are learning how to best develop themselves as students. Regardless of these discrepancies, both groups continue to remain positive and work hard. This new year will be different for everyone, but one thing we all share will be the ability to make the most out of it.

“I can finally stop worrying so much about school and spend more time on my hobbies,” said Ashley Bao ’20.