Second trimester started on Tuesday, Dec. 3 . Students strolled through the halls, new schedules in hand, on the way to their new classes.

For the freshmen, this was the first schedule change they would experience in their high school career. Maddie Oppenheimer, freshman, enjoyed the change. “I like that we change classes completely because it is refreshing to switch teachers and meet new people; however, I can see how it could be stressful getting a whole new class schedule,” Oppenheimer said.

For some, the new trimester is a relief because their classes are much less difficult. Manav Shah, sophomore, is happy to have some new classes. “I don’t have honors pre-calc this trimester, which is great. I did not do well in that class [first trimester],” Shah said.

For others like Karly Konik, junior, however, this new trimester brings more difficulties. “This trimester is a bit harder for me because I have more core classes, but I have lots of friends in my classes so hopefully it will still be fun,” Konik said.

As the classes change, this can affect the amount of work for many students. “This affects my workload dramatically because it’s a lot easier to get my work done, especially next tri I won’t have any AP classes,” Shah said.

On the contrary, some students do not experience as effective of a change. Katelyn Kern, senior, does not notice much of a difference due to having a more moderate schedule for the year. “Being a senior, I don’t have many hard classes, so this tri isn’t much different from last,” Kern said.

Besides the actual classes, something that has changed for many students is the social aspect. As classes and lunches change, having friends in class or lunch is important to many students. “So far I like my classes because I have lots of friends in them, but one thing I don’t like is that I have A lunch now,” Kern said.

Homestead implemented trimesters in the 2012-13 school year, so this year, every student has only experienced having trimesters. “I prefer trimesters as we have now even though they have negatives. I think it is a great opportunity to have classes with friends and good teachers, whereas if you get a bad schedule you are stuck with it all year. This way works better for me,” Oppenheimer said.