For many students at San Luis Obispo High School, just keeping their heads above the tides of school work and stress is an unimaginable, and often unattainable, goal. However, two similarly named juniors at SLOHS, Sam Pal and Sam Eisendrath,  seem to manage the impossible. Calm, cool, poised, and collected, all whilst dealing with the pressure of advanced classes and high expectations, their cool demeanors seem to many, inexplicable. Expressions takes an inside look at how our smart Sams navigate through the strain of school.

Expressions: How many APs are you in?

Junior Sam Pal: Four. Or something.

Junior Sam Eisendrath: Four.

Expressions: How many hours a night do you sleep?

Pal: Maybe 7 on a good night. Last night was 5. On a really bad night, like before a [AP Calculus] test or something, 3 to 4

Eisendrath:  5 1/2 to 6

Expressions: How do you deal with stress caused by schoolwork?

Pal: Truthfully, I can’t. I doubt if anyone can really deal with the pressures they put on themselves. In my case, the pressures manifest themselves into blind and misguided ambition, as well as serious anxiety and depression.

Eisendrath:  I read, I watch movies, and I play musical instruments like guitar and viola.

Expressions: What aspirations do you have for after high school?

Pal: Well, I’d potentially like to go out of state, then college, and possibly grad school. We’ll see,

Eisendrath: I want to go to a four year college, preferably on the east coast, but I don’t know where yet. Outside of that, I have no idea.

Expressions: Do you think the AP classes are worth the stress that they cause?

Pal:To some extent, maybe. Some AP classes actually teach critical thinking skills as they attempt to do. But a lot of them are just busy work and a GPA boost. I have enjoyed some of my AP classes, but some of the others have just been a waste of time.

Eisendrath: I do, because most of them are fun. I enjoy most of them, and I like learning.