Passing through the front gates to the Cooper campus, a curiosity of what is to come this spring on campus is inevitable. From a few conversations with the Class of 2019,  we’ve found that second semester is a time when seniors all across campus scramble to finish their second round of college applications, while they wait for responses from schools they applied to in the fall. With the transition to college so near, uncertain seniors pose many questions about the university experience, such as, “Will the professors be nice?” and “Is it as hard as high school?” In the midst of all these senior inquiries, one question seems to catch the imagination of the whole of the Upper School student body: “How do you handle life in the grown-up world?” With this question in mind and with the help of teachers across our vibrant campus, we set out to gather advice that will hopefully inspire Cooper students to achieve success academically and personally in the future.

Starting in the Upper School building, who better to give advice about keeping peace of mind than a Psychology teacher? Our beloved high school counsellor and resident AP Psychology teacher, Mrs. Donahoo, offers up a time-tested tip, “Don’t wait until the last minute!” The teacher who has taught generations of Cooper students warns against falling prey to procrastination, and she suggests some ways to ward off this bad habit, such as turning off your phone when you work or planning daily starting and stopping points for projects or other assignments. Thanks to Mrs. Donahoo’s insight, students may have a clearer picture about how to ward off procrastination and to excel academically in the second half of the school year through tried and true methods of time management and organization.

After we garnered academic advice, the next obstacle to tackle was the emotional side of school, or how to manage stress and social situations. Looking down the Upper School hallways to the English Department, current AP English teacher Mr. Elliot suggests we “do yoga.” Our good-natured English teacher makes a very sound point; keeping one’s body active can not only help with focus, but it is essential for overall physical and mental health. Mr. Elliot’s observations about one’s well-being are invaluable, and we wanted to explore more about the English Department’s commentary towards mental health and social well-being. Further down the hallway, Ms. Wiggins, the English Department Chair, advises us to “surround ourselves with positive people who will bring you up.” Her judgement is perfect for applying to interaction with our peers and alludes to how one may mirror their habits, so being surrounded by positive people will, in turn, make one more positive! After both of these interviews, we were glad to know more about how to keep mentally connected in the frenzy of high school activity, and were curious about what the other departments may have to add to the advice we had collected so far.

Across the quad in The Rock Math and Science Building, the Math Department’s  Mrs. Prine reminds us to, “keep our lives in balance, even if it isn’t an easy thing to do.” Whether it be studying, work, or personal relationships, balance is key, and Mrs. Prine helps us to remember that finding time for yourself and focusing on personal goals is crucial to successfully balance school and social life.

Rounding off our tour of the Cooper campus during the second half of the school year, we’ve returned to the front gates, which transport us to a glimpse of the future, now a bit more optimistic, and a little less apprehensive. With all of the wisdom gifted to us by our faculty, Cooper seniors and the whole student body will be going into second semester and this upcoming school year with a sense of confidence, no matter if we are returning to campus for another year of high school, or making the leap into a new experience at university.