The long-anticipated Christmas break came and went, but it seems like the students of Saint Ignatius aren’t going to see another extended break anytime soon.  With seniors preparing for graduation, juniors working hard on their English Research Paper (JRP) , and the AP exams just around the corner,the workload will just keep growing. The long haul is worsened by the lack of breaks this semester . Unless everyone’s wish for a snow day comes true, the only early semester break is February 20th, when school is closed for President’s Day. The next substantial break won’t happen until April for Easter. It seems like the amount of work has doubled, but the amount of breaks has gone down.

Victoria Sharif ‘24 voices the opinion of many students when she says, “I feel like at this point, people are just waiting for a snow day.” A snow day should be expected around this time in Chicago, but it seems that everyone’s wishful thinking hasn’t led to any results. Could the demands for a day off have anything to do with all the work students have? 

Maya Arroyo ‘24 seems to have some insight, “Our workload hasn’t increased drastically, but we’ve had a lot of changes and are working more on projects rather than homework, like the JRP.” Arroyo adds,  “It shouldn’t be the expectation that we can give 100% every single day, but being in school with other intelligent people makes you feel like you have to give your all every single day.” It seems like fatigue is  hitting students by the second semester, but the projects and lack of breaks are unrelenting, forcing students to stay diligent in their work.

Juniors are  writing the JRP now, and they might have to start preparing to take  the SAT or ACT. Both standardized tests have major influence on the next step in their lives, and underachieving could jeopardize any student’s chances of getting into a highly selective college. 

Therefore, Juniors should dedicate much time to studying for whichever test they want to take. People can study for one, two, maybe even three months for this. It can be a major distraction from homework and tests. Knowing the differences between them can help in the studying process.One main difference is that the SAT has much more math than the ACT, and the ACT has a science section. The SAT also gives more time for each question. Juniors have to figure out what they’re better at, or they may not be accepted into their dream college.

Most students in Ignatius are in clubs and  sports as well, so the second semester can become even more stressful. Spring sports like track and soccer require the athletes to practice and play in matches most days a week. Athletes have to balance their sport, homework, and tests almost every day. Clubs also require commitment and hard work. Executive Board Members have to schedule meetings, plan events, and advertise constantly. Most club events have to be done outside of school, so it takes up time outside of the seven hours that students are normally at Saint. Ignatius. No matter what extracurricular student’s participate in, they will have to manage their time more efficiently this semester than the Fall semester. 

Almost everyone in Saint .Ignatius now has to do more school work now, and Easter break is still months away. For now, students will have to manage their time well. All of the responsibilities now may seem daunting, but it is all manageable if taken care of efficiently and spring break will be that much sweeter.