At the end of every year, students transfer to different parts of the world, leaving behind the meaningful friendships built over time. Although we may be tempted to make the most of the limited time left, exam season rushes in, forcing us to choose between academics and our friends.
Challenges
Throughout high school, students in each grade level face different academic challenges while maintaining friendships.
For underclassmen, adjusting to new academic expectations often makes balancing friendships and academics more difficult. As newcomers to high school, freshmen may be unfamiliar with exam routines, and unsure of when or how to study. Meanwhile, sophomores taking AP classes for the first time may struggle with the heavier workload. Faced with the pressure to adapt, many underclassmen end up sacrificing social plans to focus on their studies.
On the other hand, juniors and seniors often find their friendships strained as they pursue different academic pathways. Unlike AP exams, which are based on year-long classes and take place over two weeks, IB exams cover two years of content and span nearly a month. As a result, students no longer share the same academic experiences, making it harder to bond through study sessions, relate to each other’s struggles, or support one another in the same way they once did. Over time, these differences can slowly create some distance within friendships. One AP student reflected on the close bond they shared with a departing friend: “We have stopped spending much time together because he is a full IB student.”
The Perpetuating Dilemma
For many at JIS, choosing to prioritize one over the other never feels fully satisfying. Focusing on exams means sacrificing final moments with departing friends, while prioritizing social time can feel like giving up opportunities to improve academically.
As one student admitted, “I feel guilty for hanging out with my friends because it is so close to exams.” Every gain in one area comes at a cost in another, leaving many students gradually becoming emotionally conflicted. One student remarked, “What do you do when you have to choose between what you care about and what everyone tells you matters?”
It becomes a classic, lose-lose situation. Competitive environments reward academic achievements, pushing many to set social plans aside. Focusing on studies can lead to another concern: the realization of how little time we have left our peers. By the time we notice it, many of those moments are already gone.
Possibilities
While spending time with friends during exam season can be difficult, health experts encourage it as a beneficial way to maintain balance. A fifth of surveyed high school students testify that a balance between friendships and academics is still possible: “There should be a better balance so that students can do well in school without hurting their social lives.”
According to the National Library of Medicine, supportive friendships provide a mental reset and ease academic stress. Thus, incorporating micro-hangouts, such as grabbing lunch together or taking walks between classes, are ways to achieve this refresh. These short breaks help them return to studying feeling more focused and less drained.
Furthermore, there is a prevailing belief that the post-exam days are the perfect time to cherish friendships, even when departure nears. Without the constant pressure of academic performance or long study sessions, students are free to enjoy every last moment with their friends.
In other instances, those graduating or moving to other countries with differing academic calendars may remain in Jakarta longer. Countries like Australia and the UK often begin school later than August, and extended periods as such allows space for both academic success and meaningful goodbyes.
Although exams take up a lot of our time, we can still appreciate those who have brought us joy and support throughout the year. As summer approaches and those departing prepare for life beyond JIS, the reality of these final weeks at school begins to sink in.
Whether you strike up a conversation or grab a quick meal together, these actions restore important bonds—a home to shared jokes and lasting memories. Really, there is no better time to make the most of your friendships than right now.
