How to stay motivated through 4th quarter

By the fourth quarter, everything tends to feel heavier. The loud alarms in the morning feel too early, assignments feel more challenging, and motivation is at an all-time low. You feel like you have already made so much progress through the school year which makes it easier to start thinking, “What's the point of this now?” But the last little bit of school matters more than people may think, and even though it might feel like it, staying motivated isn't impossible. 

One thing that helps focus on ending the fourth quarter is a change of mindset. Thinking about how tired you feel, start considering how you already made it through three quarters. You have to look at it like you're not starting over but rather think about finishing strong. Small reminders like counting down the weeks or planning something to look forward to in the summer can make a big difference.

Another way to stay on track is by setting small, but realistic goals. Saying something like “I need to get straight A’s’’ can feel very overwhelming, especially this late in the year. But telling yourself "I'll get this done by tonight” or "I'll study for 20 minutes’’ feels a lot more doable. Once you start completing those smaller goals, it builds momentum, and things start to feel less stressful.

It also helps to switch things up a little. Doing the same routine every day can make your life seem very repetitive and boring. You can do things like try and study in a different spot, listening to music while doing homework, or even just taking better care of yourself to reset your mind. Sometimes motivation doesn't come from working harder but it comes from finding ways to better your routine and working differently

.Sometimes even being around the right people matters too. If everyone around you is checked out, it’s easy to fall into the same type of mindset “I would probably fall into the same cycle because your friends are a big part of your life and you tend to pick up on their habits,” Mikayla Solis, 11, said. “Sometimes my friends get so done with being at school for the day, and they ask me if I wanna go do something fun like get Starbucks instead of going to class. Which isn't good because then I have a chance of getting denial of credit. Because I will probabl end up feeling left out or regretting not going most of the time, I cave in, and it becomes a habit.This shows a real life example that probably happens to a lot of students. A lot of students forget you have to remind yourself you don't have to be perfect, you just cant completely give up.

At the end of the day, the fourth quarter is mainly just about the effort you're willing to put in. Teachers notice when you are still trying, even if you aren't getting perfect grades. It will also make you feel better knowing you didn't just give up through the last part of the quarter. Not only that but you also won't have to stress as much about exams if you keep a solid grade. You especially don't want to think about how you let yourself down during the summer. It's normal to feel burned out now, but you are closer to the end than you think, and how you finish will mean a lot more than how tired you felt pushing through.

Fourth quarter is finally here // Struggling to push through? School is a lot, and with summer approaching, these are some tips and ideas on how to manage the stress of fourth quarter. (Photo Credit Ava Sarmiento)