Students see their siblings at home everyday, but how is it different when you pass them in the hallways at school? Some might say they do not think too much of it, but others say that having a sibling in the same school has its perks. Freshman, Avery Meyer, says “ This is the first year that I have been in school with my two older sisters and so far it has been extremely helpful. It is not only nice that they have had the same classes as me before but it is nice to have someone to help me navigate my way through high school.” 

Hannah Lynch (12) also agrees that having a sibling in the school has advantages, she says Hannah says “Having a sister who plays the same sports as me makes me play harder. I always strive to try and become better than her because we have a very competitive nature when it comes to sports.” However, several other students such as Hannah Lynch’s younger sister Lauren Lynch (11) disagree and say having a sibling in the same school as you can be challenging. Lauren says “I think it is most difficult being compared to my sister academic wise. When introducing myself to my teachers they usually ask if Hannah is my sister and they tell me that she was a great student. Since my sister is smart, teachers expect me to be just like she was when they had her as a student.” 

“Carterville High School is unusual because within the student body there are many sets of twins. Being a twin has its advantages, but also its disadvantages says Madison Meyer (12) says “ it is nice having a twin sister in the same grade because we take the same classes so we can help each other on homework and it is almost like a built-in study buddy.” Then asked Madison if there were any downsides to having a twin sister in the same grade as you and she proceeded to tell me, “One of the biggest downsides to having a twin sister in the same grade as you is being compared to each other and competing for better grades. We constantly say that one of us is smarter than the other but we definitely do compete to see who gets the better grades. If one of us does better on a test than the other one, the other one works harder to get a better grade.” 

Having siblings in the same school as you can have many benefits such as having a study buddy and having someone to navigate you through high school. There can also have some downsides such as being competitive with grades and other school activities. Overall having siblings in the same school as you can be fun but can also be a challenge.