This issue, Opinion editors Shaye Lee ’26 & Jack McCarthy ’26 passed the reins to Mike Xu ’24, who shared some insights from his experience as a four-year Senior.

Dear Record,

How can I navigate the competition and pressure of Hotchkiss academic life?

Sincerely,

Stressed Student

Dear Stressed Student,

Our community is a collection of very talented and hardworking people. Their achievements and capabilities can be intimidating.

However, this shouldn’t discourage anyone, as Hotchkiss provides enough resources for students to excel no matter where they start from. Your teachers are more than happy to speak to you after class about subjects you may be concerned about, your classmates are open to helping you with things you don’t understand, and the TLC is always available when the other options are not.

Compare the process to a typical video game. Everyone starts from the same place, but depending on how you play the game and what decisions you make, you will make different amounts of progress. While everyone has a different level of skill, algorithms provide you with various power-ups to level the playing field and create a less skewed game.

In an academic setting, these power-ups take various forms. Math help, office hours, peer tutoring, group work, and other support systems give you the opportunity to boost your grades, relationships with teachers, and understanding of course materials.

However, just like power-ups, these resources must be implemented strategically and intentionally for maximum impact. Going to math help the night before a test will not be as effective as consistently asking for help during the weeks leading up to the exam.

Additionally, while working hard is undoubtedly important to academic success, social aspects of life also play a pivotal role. While the phrase “healthy body, healthy mind” is a cliche, there is quite a lot of truth to it. Be sure to give your mind the rest it needs, and don’t overwork yourself. You will find that a strategic work ethic will be much more efficient than relying on caffeine.

Hotchkiss is hard. Our student body is a concentrated sample of the most talented teenagers in the country—you will inevitably come across someone who you think is smarter, more hard-working, or even more talented.

But remember: that doesn’t necessarily make them better than you. Again, I hate to be dealing in cliches, but in a community that rewards academic excellence and extracurricular achievement, it’s easy to lose track of the other things that matter.

Your intelligence—or your talent— isn’t the only thing that defines you. I promise that you have something unique to offer as a person, even if you haven’t found it yet. That’s what this school is all about: finding yourself.

At the end of the day, our community is a diverse group of people who are all talented at different things. This diversity is not something to fear, but something to embrace.

From this community, find your passion to learn new things and have new experiences, as there is no greater motivator than passion.

Sincerely,

Mike Xu