For all students at MSMS, the 2015-2016 school year is half over and grades have been posted for the first semester. For juniors, the end of the semester came with their first set of MSMS exams. For seniors, the end of the semester marks the beginning of the homestretch to graduation.

However, there is one thing that is on everyone’s mind at the beginning of a new quarter: privilege plans. For the juniors, this will be the first time that they will be able to use their cars during the week and have days without study hours.

Many juniors are excited to have their newfound freedoms and are confident they will get a better privilege plan. Madison McLean is one such junior who is looking forward to some extra time away. “I’m hoping I can get on a better privilege plan so I can hang out with my friends off campus for a little while. It will be a great break away from school and I think everyone needs that every once in awhile.”

While some are hopeful, others have adopted a slightly more pessimistic tone. Achintya Prasad said he has ideas for his not-so-likely privilege plan, “Assuming I am given that freedom, I will really be looking forward to not having to eat from the cafeteria all the time. I think I will learn how to balance this new freedom with my school life.”

New freedom also comes with new responsibilities. Students will be balancing their more active social lives with new responsibilities. The new year also brings new classes, projects and opportunities such as mentorship and research.

These plans come on the heels of the junior class’s first exam week which seniors have handled multiple times now. For juniors who have tackled this semester with little to no idea of what to expect, privilege plans can be a time of differing expectations.