There comes a stressful period of time after winter break and midterms that many students find difficult to endure in their years of high school. Motivation reaches a low making it harder for students to stay on top of school work and extracurriculars. Students and MRHS Counselors share their tips to overcome and stay motivated during this strenuous time to overcome this lull.
Numerous students at MRHS enjoy their time off during winter break; it allows them to destress and take their mind off of school. However, when winter break comes to an end students enter a period of ongoing stress as they deal with the end of quarter two to midterms and then the beginning of quarter three.
“Quarter two ends and then it’s straight into quarter three where we have so much stuff to do, but I feel like most of us just [work] it out, there’s not much we can do about it,” sophomore Nehaan Kallepalli said.
Students also find it difficult to focus on their schoolwork due to a lack of motivation. Some face the difficult task of not being able to pay attention in class and struggle with being productive rather than procrastinating during their second semester.
“Unmotivation has given me a more relaxed or nonchalant approach to my work where I feel like I’ll get to it eventually,” junior Chelsea Asiedu explained.
As midterms came to a close, many students began to lack the motivation necessary to continue on for the rest of the year. Especially with this year’s delay of midterms due to snow, some students found it difficult to continue studying into the following week as well.
“The snow made it harder for me to study for midterms because of all the days off of school we got. I was super prepared going into the original midterm week, and since the tests kept getting pushed back, I was losing motivation to study for midterms,” junior Natasha Randhawa claimed.
Though some students find the time following winter break to be difficult, many enjoy getting back to work and being productive.
“I feel like during break I get really bored so it feels refreshing to come back. I feel like it’s nice for a couple of days but then after a while, there’s nothing to do… you can only go on your phone so much,” senior Ryan Li said.
With winter break being ten days, students have time to destress and relax, however, many find this time off to be uneventful and would like to come back to the productivity of school. With a ready mindset, these students are prepared for school and its demands after the break.
Even with this time being quite stressful, students share tips that may help others deal with stress and stay motivated to keep up with their school work.
“I like to eat and workout… it helps me focus and stay motivated especially when I am eating properly,” junior Trijal Pinninti explained.
Others find it helpful to set reminders for themselves and expectations during school. Watching others being motivated can also help students feel motivated by providing themselves with a standard or role model.
“I would say setting to-do lists every day is really helpful and also watching motivational videos of other people being productive can also be helpful,” Asiedu claimed.
A good resource for students who are struggling with motivation is to reach out to their school counselor for tips that can help them improve in school. Counselors have noticed and seen first-hand the struggles students experience after a break, especially in motivation and keeping up with school work. Though this time is daunting, counselors can offer comfort, experience and guidance if necessary.
“A recommendation is always to ensure that you keep up on your studies where you just don’t cram the night before. Part of that is time management and organization to ensure that you have a plan mapped out for yourself, and when you have a plan it’s easier to follow it and stay motivated,” counselor Ms. Brady expressed.
The expectations of high school can certainly be pressuring for students, and when motivation reaches a low many find it difficult to regain the momentum to continue school with their best efforts. Though this time can be stressful, it is important for students to also prioritize their mental and physical health while keeping up with school.