This year was my first year taking the PSAT and I had no idea how long they were. I was expecting it to be like the Milestones where you can take it at your own pace, but you had to take it on the timer’s pace. I was done 10 minutes, and sometimes even twenty minutes, ahead of the clock so I had to literally just sit and stare. On the last one I was so bored, I wrote poetry and drew on the scrap paper.

One of my best friends was right next to me and although we didn’t talk, I felt that was a distraction because I felt an urge to talk to him. Also, I had horrible sleep, so I could barely focus on the questions.  Next year I will try to go to sleep earlier, and sit away from my best friend so I can do as best as I can. 

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The PSAT did not give enough time for each module. I read slower when it’s not particularly interesting so it is not fair because people move at their own pace. With the timer I felt more rushed like I couldn’t double check my answer. I did not get to complete two of the four modules because of the short time we were given. It took us a while to actually start because we had to wait for people. It was tiring because we couldn’t talk during the quick 10 minute break. If the timing was more like the Milestones I definitely would have done better without feeling rushed and going at my own pace.

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The PSATs were tiring; they took a while to figure out how to start the actual activity while we were waiting for further instruction in silence because our teacher told us we were not allowed to talk. When they got it actually started it was slow and stressful, just watching the timer slowly count down to zero was making me worry that I would not be able to finish all of the questions before the timer ended.

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The PSAT was slow and dreadful. We were behind on getting started due to multiple people having problems. Even I was having problems getting on which were a pain to fix. Some people started late while others started early which threw the time off. Also when you finish early you can’t really do anything. You kind of just sit there, staring into the abyss. I also felt like I was rushed in some areas and was not given enough time. The PSATs itself wasn’t that bad besides the fact that more time on certain sections would have been nice. I also wish that we could work on other work when we were completely done instead of just sitting there. Also I think that multiple short breaks between each section would  have been better than one long break every two sections. But other than that, the PSATs were not that bad.

The PSAT was extremely slow-moving. The test itself had four sections and only one break. There were also many technical difficulties where my screen would glitch or take longer to load. This was extremely frustrating because the technology wasn’t working the way it should have.

In my class, there was a student who wasn’t able to access the test and then she had to go to another room to see if they could fix it. The school needs to be way more prepared, especially since this is the first-ever SAT online. I am very disappointed in the lack of preparation for the SAT. This is making everything way more stressful then it needs to be and its not only me who’s being affected it’s everyone else too and it’s just really despairing knowing that we weren’t as prepared as we should be.

I generally enjoyed the senior activities although there were some things that could have gone more smoothly in general. I am a Dual Enrollment student and take those classes virtually so I was able to come to McIntosh earlier than usual to join in. Other seniors ended up not coming to school  at all so they weren’t included in the class of ’24 pictures and they didn’t vote for senior superlatives, skewing the vote. The senior photo probably did not turn out very well because so few seniors actually showed up and I am disappointed that it might not be as aesthetically pleasing as previous years.

Next year more seniors would want to come if the activities were brought up sooner than a day or two before PSAT day. I was content with the brunch of a Chik-fil-A biscuit, but I know some people who could not eat them and there was no accommodation. For example, those with religious beliefs and those who are vegetarian. In the future, an alternative option for breakfast would be a great idea, like maybe a plain biscuit without the meat.

Other than that there seemed to be a large amount of down time between activities which made it feel more like the activities in general were just meant to waste time. This made me feel like I shouldn’t have showed up at all as my time might have been better spent at home working on college applications and actual school work. Maybe if the schedule for the activities was more set in stone and there wasn’t so much down time then it would have been more enjoyable.

Overall though I really enjoyed the drama performance and think that in the future maybe with more organization more of the senior class would show up.

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I thought that the “senior activities” were mostly just socializing with other seniors as a way to burn time. Nothing especially noteworthy other than the obligatory school photo that half of the senior class was present for. I’d just rather we stay home and be able to work on college applications.

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I was only present for the show the Advanced Drama class presented to the seniors. I did not feel the need to attend the earlier activities, because there’s really nothing special about them. Our “Senior Brunch” was a cold chicken biscuit on the football field. Meanwhile, Whitewater High School had Waffle House catered to them.

Our Advanced Drama show was very last minute put together, mostly because the senior activities aren’t really cared about or important to the student body. Most of the senior student body wasn’t even present.

As a senior student, I ask MHS to do better next year with senior activities. Activities are supposed to be fun, interesting. Instead of a cold Chick-Fil-A biscuit, an actual breakfast. Give us something interesting to do, please.

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Today’s senior activities were interesting. We received a senior brunch, took a class number picture, and attended a drama performance.

The brunch did not meet my expectation of a “brunch.” I thought we were getting a meal catered to us or something of that caliber. Instead, we received chicken biscuits from Chik-fil-A that were noticeably sitting for a period of time. The whole brunch could’ve been better. When someone says “brunch,” I automatically think about eggs, bacon, hash browns and orange juice.

Another part of our senior activities was taking a massive group photo as the class of 2024 shaped in the numbers two and four for our graduating year (2024) which was a major success. Everyone knew and understood the assignment with only a little bit of guidance from administrators.

The last part of the senior activities was the drama performance. Overall, the performance was nice. I like the engagement with the crowd, I also liked the edgy jokes that are usually not allowed within school plays. But I think the production of the play needed to be more organized. From what I saw and heard, one week of last-minute preparation is not good enough.

For the seniors next year, I believe the administration should create a senior only poll that directly asks them, “What do you want for their senior brunch?” The admin should also ask “What do you want to do for their activity?” For example, card games, board games, or even time to rest.

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Senior activities were interesting. They began by sitting in a classroom assigned by last name alphabetically and we sat there for 20 minutes. We were told to make sure we ordered a cap and gown and then voted for senior superlatives, which apparently only a third of our class actually did.

After that we went to the concession stand area to get a chicken biscuit from Chick-fil-A, but they had clearly sat there for a while because the biscuit was mushy and honestly, I ate the biscuit and not the chicken part. We sat around for a while eating and just hanging around with friends before they finally called us for the number photo.

The seniors got into position outlining the numbers two and four because that is our graduation year, 2024. That was fairly simple and quick.

Then we sat around for a couple more minutes before heading into the auditorium for the advanced drama skits which were fun to watch. I was in the tech booth to run tech since I am in that class, and I was also able to get footage and pictures for the students performing and our drama Instagram page.

However, the skits were extremely last minute and we didn’t have long to work on them. Also, the senior class took photos and posted them making fun of the students performing – which is rude. 

Then it was back to classrooms for another while before dismissal to our fourth period.

The thing is, senior activities are supposed to be fun and relaxing but it was pretty boring all morning. So many seniors skipped school because they didn’t care about the activities and I can’t blame them. I think we can do better than a sandwich and a thrown together drama show.

What if instead, we played games outside, watched a movie in the auditorium or even just took a collective nap. We could work on college applications or other important senior things. Senior activities felt boring and a waste of time. Make next year something that seniors want to attend.