By: Sofia Escudero

Throughout the school year of 2025-2026 in McCaskey High school, students have enrolled in all sorts of classes. From Foundations of Science to Higher Level IB (International Baccalaureate) Math — a math class combining algebra, functions, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and probability, as well as calculus, McCaskey students have completed hundreds of classes in the last year. But academics are not the only way to measure what students have learned in this past year. McCaskey students have learned time management, ways to handle pressure, the importance of relationships, and much more. 

Many students in McCaskey take part in clubs and sports, while also managing jobs and personal responsibilities. Students must have to learn how to juggle all of these responsibilities while also staying on top of their academics, but over time, students have learned how to manage their time by employing different tactics. Some may set specific goals for each day, such as half an hour for English homework, one hour for math homework, a cat nap, and then a few hours at work. Others may have specific days for study and specific days for work, and some may put their jobs on pause during extremely stressful times, such as the final AP and IB exam weeks. No matter what strategy students use, they have found what works best for them. McCaskey Senior Valerie Gray shared, “I am taking multiple IB and AP (Advanced Placement) classes, and it can be difficult to find time to get all my assignments done, especially because I procrastinate so much. But, I was able to make a schedule for myself, which at first was hard to follow, but now it’s a routine and it’s like second nature.”

During the months of April and May, there tends to be a peak in students’ stress levels and this is likely due to the fact that these months are when final exams occur. To get through this period, students must find ways to lessen their stress and the pressure that they feel. When the pressure seems like too much, students were able to rely on not just their friends and family, but also McCaskey staff members, such as the counselors. All staff in McCaskey are working to help students, so when students have concerns they are more than able to reach out to any McCaskey staff member. As well as staff members, having a reliable group of people around is a great way to relieve stress. McCaskey junior Anira Acevedo shared, “I have a good support system around me, and honestly I think that is such a big reason why I didn’t succumb to the pressure. I mean I was able to hangout with my friends and family whenever I felt overly stressed and they just have helped me so much.”

Students in McCaskey have learned so much outside of just academics in the past school year. They have learned about time management, ways to handle pressure, and the importance of relationships. These strategies will be passed onto the next generation of McCaskey students, and more are expected to come!