The Twelve Stages of Stuy Students

So you’ve finally made it to a new school year at Stuyvesant. Whether this was your first choice or not, prepare yourself for a Google Classroom to-do list that won’t say “Woohoo, no work to do!” until you graduate. The Stuyvesant cycle is something that many students (and even teachers) dread. In fact, crying emojis and “FML” aren’t enough to encompass the stress and the AP grind we all love and adore. 

September

Every end must have a beginning, and for most New York City students, that’s September. During this period, you’ll find yourself begging to time-travel to that first week of June. You’ll also find yourself reading the familiar “IMPORTANT! Welcome to School Fall 2025 Instructions… We’re so excited to see you!” email with instructions on how to not embarrass yourself. You won’t make it through half the day before you see your peers trying to make a good impression on your teachers by calling dibs for the front seat in the classroom. And watch out in the hallways! The freshmen will be running to beat the starting bells.

October:

It’s grind time. At this point, you might have failed your first Geometry or Spanish test. If you haven’t yet, great job! You will eventually. The weeks will feel short, but the days will be long. And no, P.E. does not count towards your GPA. 

November

You’ll find yourself thinking it’s May when it isn’t even the new year, but try to find things you’re grateful for. Maybe it’s the 29-minute homework instead of the 30-minute homework. Perhaps the 10 tests instead of 12 tests per week. To the seniors: Congrats! You made it to the early college deadline! 

December

‘Tis the season to be jolly! You’ll be counting down the days till it’s the 24th, and you might experience a mental breakdown when you realize that finals are actually after break. The school will get colder as the heaters give up during the coldest months, but don’t worry. The heat will be back on in June!

January

‘Tis the season to not be jolly. It’s unfortunately finals season, and soon enough, you’ll hear echoes of “Finals week or my final week?” in the hallways. And don’t lie. You also just told your friend, “I’m going to lock in. New year, new me” for the tenth time this year. Semester one grades are finalized, and now you realize: you’re only halfway through. 

February

If you made it this far, you’re doing great. On Valentine’s Day, all of the Instagram stories you’ll see will be of Stuy couples, as if posting for National Boyfriend Day and National Girlfriend Day weren’t enough. The new semester will quickly humble you with more tests and schoolwork, but at least you’ll be rewarded with February break.

March

Still alive? You’d better be mentally prepared because here comes the month with practically no days off. Powered entirely by a trusty cup of coffee or an energy drink (or maybe two… or three… or 20…), you somehow make it through. To make matters worse, if you’re a junior, no more FriYAYs! Two of the three days we have off are for the SATs.

April: 

Finally! April starts with Spring break and you get a nice one and a half week period of freedom. Or is it really? It's the perfect time to catch up on studying for APs, so instead of getting rest, you'll find yourself cramming and reviewing for the test. A week after that, you’re probably worrying about what your teachers will say to your parents at parent-teacher conferences. And don’t forget about the research mentor hunt! Summer is slowly approaching, and you’re rushing to get a position at a lab.

May:

The most dreaded month of the school year has arrived—it's officially AP season! Everyone is frantically studying for their APs while juggling homework and tests all at once. You’ll be dreaming about “getting your brain cows milked” while regretting choosing to take a bunch of AP courses. 

June: 

You’ve finally made it to the last month of school. Congratulations on making it through—you’ve surmounted piles of homework, tests, no sleep, and work for extracurriculars. But just when you think it’s all over, you are reminded that you still have in-class finals and Regents week. 

July: 

July arrives, and your only homework is deciding what to do with all your free time. If you’re being productive (don’t worry if you’re not—after surviving a full school year, bed rotting is entirely justified), you might be starting to prepare for the SATs, or be busy with programs, jobs, lab work, enjoying traveling, or simply regretting not applying for more internships. But now you can hang out with your friends as much as you want and savor the rare joy of not having any school assignments to occupy your thoughts.

August: 

You’re reminded that you only have a month left of precious summer, and school is approaching soon again. Towards the end of the month, you’re constantly checking your phone to see if schedules have finally come out so you can compare schedules with your friends. You’re also praying that you don’t have fourth or eighth period lunch, but it’s a canon event that everyone has suffered through at least once.

And just like that, the cycle begins again. You’ve survived another year of sleepless nights, Google Classroom chaos, and cafeteria pizza. But take a deep breath—you did it. Whether you’re a freshman still figuring out where the escalators go or a senior counting down the days to freedom, remember: Stuy never gets easier, but you’ll adjust (and get better at speed-walking to class). See you next September—same stress, new schedule!