As Summer Nears, Students Reflect on the Ending Year
Photo Courtesy of the Exeter Communications Department
By ISABEL EVANS, ANGELA HE, CHLOÉ LIND, and JADE YOO
As the 2023-24 school year comes to a close, students were invited to reflect on their experiences, unlikely friendships, and Harkness discussions. Students who have made friends with seniors were sad to see them go, but there was an excited buzz on campus as the weather grew warmer and students started to count down the days until the summer break. This term has been a busy time for students of all grade levels: seniors concluded their college applications, uppers started their college research, U.S. history students confronted their 333s, and for everyone, finals are now on the horizon.
Throughout the year, students worked hard, struggled, and persevered. In general, they appreciated their past year’s worth of experience at the Academy. When asked for a story that encompassed her Exeter experience, prep Alyssa Wang said, “Spending seven hours on a final group project in the fall. Although it was the first time I had skipped three meals in a row, we had fun working on it and were extremely dedicated. Our work also paid off since we got an A on the project.” As Wang mentioned, there were a plethora of times during which students had to dedicate extensive periods of time to their work, but eventually, they persevered, and students found they came out stronger.
Friends were a crucial aspect of being able to persevere through academic hardships, as prep Lena Kook confirmed: “Sometimes after a long day, I realized how much having peers around can heal me and give me the support I need. We all recognize we are in this together, and we empathize with one another, holding each other’s hands along the way of our journey here.”
Upper Pranavi Vedula agreed with Kook about the importance of a support system on campus, recounting a story in the Fall term. “I hadn’t started writing a history paper that was due the next day…and I remember breaking down into tears at the library. Not only did my friends stay by my side to comfort me, but a librarian who happened to be shelving books nearby sat down next to me until I had a plan for writing my paper. It was one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me.”
“Despite its [333 Paper] difficulty, what made the process not only bearable but also enjoyable were my friends and peers,” Upper Mari Chaparro agreed.
“One great part of my experience at Exeter was having the opportunity to make friends and meet people from all over the world,” prep Hanna Wei agreed.
“Exeter is so synonymous with community and I want to carry that sense of community with me wherever I go”, Vedula remarked.
On the topic of Exeter’s Harkness method, prep Aarti Raju said, “Going through the months of classes, I feel I’ve been able to understand the material in a really new, engaging way through Harkness.”
Kook added, “After coming here, I learned how to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. In a lecture-style classroom, I was too timid to raise my hand and ask a question or present. But the Harkness method implemented at Exeter invited me to comfortably and openly express myself. For Harkness, the spotlight is not only on the presenter themselves. Everyone around the table is in the spotlight, everyone is welcomed to perform,” elaborating on the extent to which Exonians enjoyed learning through the Harkness method.
Despite thoroughly enjoying the year’s academic challenges, Lower Leona Lederman cited, “It will be nice to have a break from teachers over the summer and relax.”
Students also enjoyed their academic courses. Wang said, “I will probably miss 300 prep physics since it has been with the same people making up two classes for the whole year. The experience brought good memories, and I will look back on it fondly.” Wei added, “My favorite class was probably Chinese, since we did many games in class as well as other fun cultural activities.”
“My favorite class this year was my French 320 class in the winter. We would travel along philosophical tangents that made for a very powerful and self-reflective class. Plus, we made beignets for Mardi Gras, and that was a lot of fun!” Vedula reminisced.
When asked to describe her year, Upper Stella Song responded with a mere one word: “Transformational.”
The students’ experiences this past year have been tough but rewarding as they settled into the social and academic lifestyle at Exeter. Now, after a vibrant and busy year, students are excited to start their well deserved break and will return in the fall for their next chapter at the Academy.
