As the season changes, leaves fall and the autumn air settles in, students prepare for an eventful weekend. A weekend circled on every student’s calendar that encapsulates the quintessential high school experience – Homecoming weekend. The football game the night before, the wave of school pride and the dance have always been the school year’s highlight. However, 2023’s homecoming weekend happens to coincide with the October SAT.

For many students, Homecoming represents a celebration of school spirit and an opportunity to create long-lasting memories with friends and classmates, especially for seniors. But holding them back is the SAT, a massive step in students’ academic paths as it can direct the course of their college admissions. The test needs weeks, if not months of preparation before earning the best score possible. So what happens when these two events clash, forcing students to rearrange their schedules?

Senior SGA treasurer Olin Kimball is among many who find themselves having to juggle these overlapping events.

“It’s not the most practical thing, especially since I’m SGA treasurer, so I have to help with planning the event, so it’s definitely annoying,” Kimball said.

Even so, students maintain a positive approach, emphasizing the importance of preparing weeks before.

“I think the biggest challenge I’m going to have to deal with is being too tired the morning of the test due to the football game the night before,” junior Isabel Chomas said. “I’ve had to change the plans my friends and I made to make sure it is after the test”

Another student also echoes the sentiment that academics must come first.

“School always takes priority, so I gotta study for the test first before thinking about Homecoming,” senior Bradley West said.

The weekend also encompasses the highly anticipated football game where many students plan to spend the night out supporting their school. The ones taking the test the next day make different plans taking into account the benefits of rest.

“To deal with the game the night before, I’ll either leave early or go home right after to make sure I can get enough sleep and make it through the test,” Chomas said.

Other students also share a similar perspective on prioritizing the SAT’s long-term implications over the game.

“As much as I want to have fun and go to the homecoming football game, I think it’s important to focus on the SAT since it has a greater impact on my life than a single football game,” senior Dylan Notley said.

As homecoming weekend approaches and the SAT draws near, it’s clear that these students are ready to deal with the overlap. Even though it’s unfortunate that both had to be scheduled on the same weekend, it’s exciting to see students’ resilience in putting their education first and balancing school with their social lives. With inevitable SAT success and Homecoming festivities, students stride confidently into a weekend where achievement and celebration dance hand in hand.