Wake up at 3:00 a.m. in the morning in a nervous panic wondering if your science labs were due three hours ago. Frantically log in to Canvas and sigh in relief seeing that you have 21 more hours to complete your unfinished labs. Fall asleep on your computer and come around at 7:30 a.m. Groggily lift your head up to check the time, shriek, and pull yourself together. Chug a Monster Energy while running out the door with your keys and backpack in hand. Speed to school and hold on to your steering wheel for dear life as you weave between cars at 69 mph on 526*. Take a relieved breath as you close in on the school only to be thwarted by an untimely train that proceeds to take its sweet time getting to its destination. Sit patiently as the train starts moving backwards and you sense your sanity slowly slipping away. Reach school (late), and take your chances crossing the carpool lanes without the protection of Officer Watson (our phenomenal school resource officer, who you can read more about here. Also, shout-out to Officer Watson for correctly identifying my Rex Kwon Do Halloween costume, you have excellent taste in cinema, sir). Weighted down with textbooks and feeling like a pack mule, trudge to building 8. After you make it to the front office, have a meltdown in front of Ms. Fisher (who will greet you cheerfully and brighten your morning regardless of the extent of which you brought your tardy upon yourself) and stumble into your first block AP class 30 minutes late. Face the wrath of your annoyed AP teacher, who will become even more exasperated upon finding out you forgot to do your homework. Open up your computer to find that it is dead. Cry until your tears have saturated your computer enough that it will be broken for good. Finally, thank the thoughtful classmate who pulls down a “My Magnet” flag and offers it to you to wipe your tears.

The Monster Energy drink is based on true events. Many Raptors’ choice of fuel is an energy drink. This tracks with the energy levels required to survive Magnet. While there are some Raptors like Luke Morris (12), who proclaim to “hate energy drinks,” these Raptors seem to be in the minority considering all the empty energy drink cans that can be found in virtually every class recycling bin. Ava Peterson’s (12) caffeination source of choice is coffee, and she playfully muses that “maybe caffeine is addictive. I got like 7 hours [of sleep] but I still really want coffee.”

Sophomores Emily Daniels and Oliver Winebrenner are hitting their stride sophomore year, and give (actually helpful) advice to younger Raptors on the importance of trying to maintain healthy habits. Emily recommends “using your time wisely,” remarking that she learned this the hard way. Oliver recommends to “try to get as much sleep as you can.” (Maybe someone can try this and let me know if more sleep would allow for a decrease in caffeine intake?)

*This is not a real suggestion, please employ discernment and good judgement while driving in the Charleston area or anywhere else.

For more practical advice on owning the high school experience, see my instructional manual for the Bonds Wilson parking lot, succinct guide to getting shredded, or hydration methods to employ while on campus.