Second Is the Best

The Second Semester Is Easier Than the First

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

The 2025–2026 school year is coming to a close, and summer is just around the corner. You can finally take a deep breath–you have next to nothing on your agenda! In comparison to the start of the school year, it’s clear that school and the large amount of work has become routine: second nature, almost. With less busy work, extra breaks and various events and trips, the second semester is undoubtedly easier than the first.

Picture this: students have just arrived back from winter break, and are eased back into the workflow as classes wrap up their curriculums. While everyone is impatiently waiting for summer and the final unit of a class ends, students are simply told to study for end-of-year exams. But, study what? Reviewing the material you already worked to memorize in the first semester proves to be a lot easier the second time around. Classwork, which has morphed into studying and review, becomes much more efficiently completed, giving students more time to relax and take time for themselves, which they could not do in the first semester.

Additionally, there is a noticeable rise in field trips and holiday breaks in the second semester. Spring break, which lasts a week, is a well-renowned hiatus that gives students time to just relax, go on vacations and spend time socially. There is little to no work given around this time, so it can serve as a reset for the entire school community. Also, field trips and school events become more common in the second semester. For example, Prom, the Sadie Hawkins dance and the senior Grad Bash event at Universal. Maclay also hosts its annual trips for sophomores and juniors in this semester. These field trips last from half a week to a full week, so students are also given a generous period of grace from schoolwork. Between all the interruptions and the declining levels of work, students have much less to balance in comparison to the first semester.

Many may argue that because of the end-of-year tests and life-changing exams, the first semester is easier than the second, but they fail to take into account the increasing amount of excess class time that can be utilized to study. Reviewing ideas and topics for AP exams inside and outside of class gives students a chance to work on their own time and schedule, in contrast to all the cramming done in the first semester. With decreasing amounts of busy work and a more independent schedule, students may find the second semester easier.

Both semesters are challenging in their own ways: the first semester is more action-packed, whereas the second semester is lots of review. Despite this, the second semester prevails as the more relaxed part of the school year. Between lighter workloads, and increased number of breaks and many school events, the second semester is more manageable than the first.