As the first term of the school year flies by, students at Hingham High School have much to share. Adjusting to the swing of things after summer proved difficult to many, a feeling shared by sophomores Shannon O’Connell and Liza Cornetta who highlighted that “adjusting back into the school schedule was hard ,but now that term two is starting we are feeling more used to everything.” Despite taking the entirety of term one to finally feel acclimated, both sophomores are keeping busy with extracurricular activities. Liza is an avid member of the Hingham Service Club and describes her participation in the club’s many activities such as hosting a fundraiser for the Hingham Food Pantry at Rev’d Indoor Cycling, packaging goody bags at Foster Elementary for active military members, and much more. 

Many students like Liza involved in extracurricular activities struggle to find a balance and give themselves enough time to keep up with school. Freshman Ava Pappone describes her struggles with getting ample amounts of sleep due to the two sports she plays, “I play soccer and have gymnastics three times a week. Some days I would have both practices, one after the other, and wouldn’t get home and start homework until 9:30 P.M.” With the beginning of term two and the ending of the soccer season, things are a bit easier on Ava, however, she now realizes she must lighten her extracurriculars to make her workload more manageable. 

Term one gave many freshman like Ava a chance to explore the school environment and find a balance between extracurricular activities and homework that works best for them. Term one was particularly tough on seniors, with many describing it as unexpectedly difficult. One such senior who shares this belief is Katie Foley who stated, “I was misled because I heard seniors are supposed to have it easy but I was swamped with work.” College applications are likely a contributing factor to the intensity of the senior’s workload this year. But, as deadlines pass, one can only hope things get a little easier. Despite its ups and downs, term one allowed students to adjust back into the frivolous school schedule and learn to keep up with its craziness, providing for a smooth transition into term two which will hopefully be more manageable.