TAG, or Talented and Gifted, is the program for students with a different learning style. It starts in elementary school and continues through high school. So, since students can spend up to 10 years in this program it is obvious that students form close relationships with each other. These friendships are what shape each of the TAG classes. Here’s a little peek into the world of TAG students.

Stress is the number one part of TAG. Since TAG classes are considered to be the highest level of classes offered, living up to the title comes with a lot of hard work. Endless tests, assignments, projects, quizzes and speeches fill up a TAG student’s life with constant dread and anticipation. This is especially true for junior students that also have SAT and ACT testing to worry about along with the amount of work they are doing for classes. Some students call TAG kids overachievers, and they might be, but doing the least in a TAG class is still really hard.

Another really big part of being in TAG is the group text. Currently the classes of 2018 and 2019 have functioning and overflowing group texts. While sometimes it functions as a great way to communicate about school work, how it is intended to work, that is usually not what happens. Most of the time the group text is used to send memes and to fill in others about funny moments in their lives. And, at least in the 2019 group text, an insane number of polls are sent. At least thirty have been sent so far this year and none of them really serve a purpose. Not only are memes sent in the group text, but the group text itself is a meme.

A very obvious part of TAG are the grades. Everyone focuses on grades but TAG kids are almost always freaking out about grades, how they’re doing in classes and what is going to affect their chances at college admissions.  Of course, this doesn’t hold true for every single TAG student. There are some students that don’t fit the TAG stereotype, who aren’t obsessed with grades or incredibly stressed 24/7, which proves to be a challenge in high school.

So, while TAG might foster a bond that differs from that of other classes, they share a lot of similarities. All students are in the same school, eat the same food, and often have the same teachers. And, you don’t have to be a TAG student to be friends with TAG kids, most friend groups are mixed between grade level, interest groups, genders and class levels.

TAG is different than what is offered in other classes, but in the end we’re all high schoolers, so we’re all stressed.