With school starting up again students are worried about classes due to the loss of learning after three months out of school.

During the  summer most students are enjoying their vacation with no thought of school.

Then, after three months, school comes back into session, and students have to work hard to get back in the academic groove.

Cosumnes Oaks High School sophomore Vennesa Moss has struggled at the start of this school year because her math class started ahead of where she left off.

Moss said, “I don’t remember any of the work we do in class, I feel like I won’t get it until the end. I need more time,”

Cosumnes Oaks supports students with summer programs, and Moss earned exceptional grades last academic year. But she still felt left behind.

Cosumnes Oaks students interviewed said the first trimester can be tough. At the start of school students spend the first week getting to understand their new courses and learning the expectations of their new teachers.

Many also complete assignments to help students become familiar with their peers. Sophomore Laila Brown said that while these assignments can be helpful, students would benefit more by receiving basic information about classes’ subject matter.

“I feel like instead of completing these (get to know me) sheets every year for important classes like math we should start off with simple things we need to know when going into the new term. She said, “We should meet and converse with students all throughout the year.”

The new semester also begins with rallies, homecoming and other school events, all of which can lead to stress as students rush to get their school work done.

The beginning-of-the-year stress can create a cycle in which a  student works hard, gets a poor grade, becomes discouraged and quits.

Carla Garcia, a junior,  is experiencing this because of  her low grade in math 2.

“I do put a lot of effort into the work I turn in, but when it comes back with a bad score, I tend to shut down,” Garcia said.

Students aren’t the only ones worried about their grades. Many parents become stressed because they want to help their child get into a four-year college and worry they will need to cover those expenses without a scholarship.Allysa Carson, mother of junior Darent Grant, is one such parent.

Last school year Grant was earning exceptional grades. He was a varsity football player and always kept his GPA over 3.0. After focusing on football and having fun with friends over the summer, Grant struggled going back into this school year, starting off with a low GPA.

“I know my son is intelligent, and I know he is capable.” Carson said. “But college is so expensive. I need him to try his hardest, that’s all. I know that his hardest work is scholarship worthy.”

To bring his grades up Grant is working with his teachers individually.

Kimberly Rosario, a math teacher at Cosumnes Oaks, suggested students struggling with math 1 take four-term math. That is a math class that lasts the entire year.

“I understand that math isn’t the easiest subject,”Rosario said. If math is too hard for a student to handle at the moment, they can take math for four terms. Everything you learn in math 1,  regular term, you will learn at a slower pace.”

Other teachers say that they are finding it hard to keep students engaged and motivated.“Each and every one of my students are capable,” said world history teacher Shantell Jones, who has been at Cosumnes Oaks for a year. “But when some feel discouraged, they tend to give up and accept the low grade. It’s hard to help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves. Getting on board may be tough around the start of school for some students, but with perseverance and determination, discouragement can come to an end.”