The second quarter of high school is always the worst for me. Personally, if high school was a roller coaster, the second quarter would be the drop. The first quarter, everything is shiny, new and a lot easier educationally. By the second quarter, this excitement wears off, and classes get a lot harder. I picked one song that I think reflects the quarter two experience for each grade. 

Freshman: “Problems” – Pinegrove

Honestly, the first two years for me now are a bit of a blur. Possibly because it was two years ago, but mostly it’s because nothing of great significance happened. Being an underclassmen felt like I was just counting down to becoming an upperclassmen. I was so caught up in my head wanting to fit into a new environment that I didn’t realize I was holding myself back. What’s worse is by the second quarter all that shiny excitement is washed away and you are left with the nerves. This is why I feel like this song suits this time freshman year.

The lines that first stick out to me are, “What if I waste my life up?/ And all my problems/ It’s so stupid/ They’re not even problems.” The lyrics are incredibly cynical and self loathing to the point he can’t even justify his problems. The narrator feels lost like it’s all a loss. The lyrics are basically spoken as if he is talking directly to another person. 

I personally feel like my first year of high school was a waste, which is a sentiment I know a lot of other people share. That’s why I think this song suits this time in anyone’s life, because it’s about being lost in your head.

Sophomore: “Everybody’s Changing” – Keane

For me and most people I’ve talked to, sophomore year was a haze. During quarter two I remember being utterly baffled by how different freshman year and sophomore year were. Educationally, it was a lot harder. Being a sophomore also came with the new honor of not being the youngest anymore. I remember this making a lot of my peers more cocky and making a halfhearted effort to be more “mature.” This phenomenon I have seen with every strain of sophomores: where a new level of confidence grows with the fact they are no longer the youngest. This is why this song by Keane sticks out to me because it focuses on the narrator being baffled about how everyone around him is changing.

The chorus shows this the best, “Try to understand that I’m/ Tryin’ to make a move just to stay in the game/ I’m tryin’ to stay awake and remember my name, but/ Everybody’s changing and I don’t feel the same.” The last lyric could be interpreted in two ways that cancel out each other. Either everyone is changing, and he doesn’t believe he is changing too. Or everyone is changing, and he doesn’t feel the same in himself, meaning he is changing also. The song has a deceptively happy and upbeat tone. You have to dissect the song to its lyrics to truly understand what he is saying. 

I think this can stand as a metaphor for sophomore year. The radiating excitement of starting high school is washed away and now you’re stuck with social and educational pressures.

Junior: “You Love Me” – Kimya Dawson

A statement I think most people can agree with is saying the second quarter of junior year is when you solidify your friend group. I’ve had the same core group since freshman year, but junior year was honestly when I felt like I really found the people who make me feel comfortable and accepted. I think this is probably because there is a new level of comfort that comes with junior year. I was less anxious because I was more used to high school, and I was an upperclassman. This feeling is recognized second quarter where you have the sensation of belonging and community is more notarized,

The relief of finally finding people who love you is shown in Kimya Dawson’s song. She talked about how when she was a child that she would bounce around from friend group to friend group. This is until in the fourth line where she finally lets someone get close to her, “Always been too scared and unprepared/ To let anybody get too close to me/ But when I met you, right away, I knew/ You would never, ever, ever hurt me.”   In the lyrics she talks about a level of safety she feels with her loved ones. 

Though maybe cheesy, I feel like part of high school during junior year is finding people you feel safe around and are excited to see everyday. It’s nice to have a reason to come to school each day other than fear of failing a class. This is especially nice during the second quarter because having a support system is helpful during finals.

Senior: “Let the Mystery be” – Iris DeMent

This is a weird time for seniors because there’s six months before school ends, but there’s an increasing pressure to know everything you want to do after high school. It feels like fear mongering. We’ve been told our whole lives about the freedom that comes with graduating. But now we’re seniors, and suddenly growing up this horrible untamable beast that sucks all the joy, money and free time out of your life. And if you don’t know exactly what you want to do, you are a lazy, immature, monster leeching off your parents and peers. This song bestows some comfort for me because instead of stressing about the future, Iris DeMent has a “go with the flow” mentality. I think this is an important second quarter so you aren’t spending six months stressing.

My favorite part of the song was the chorus, “Everybody is worrying about where they’re going to go/ When the whole thing’s done/ But no one knows for certain and so it’s all the same to me/ I think I’ll just let the mystery be.” The sentiment of just allowing your future to be a mystery is something I think a lot of people fear, but honestly it can be something truly freeing. Especially during senior year, when it’s all about making decisions around your future. 

We only have a few months left. If we spend that whole time depressed and anxious, in my mind, that’s a waste. That’s why it’s important during the second quarter to look on the bright side and stay calm in the face of the storm.

High school can be stressful for everyone in many ways, whether it be educational pressure, social problems, or just general anxiety. This is why the second quarter sucks. This time is when the stress seeps in. 

It’s important to remember no matter where you are in high school to take care of yourself by trying to remove unnecessary stress from your life. It’s important to remember no matter where you are in high school to take care of yourself by trying to remove unnecessary stress from your life. In all, it’s up to you to make your high school experience a good one.