The school year is wrapping up, and students are entering the dangerous zone of spring where continuing to do homework can feel like trying to climb Mt Everest. Frustration is mounting, but the work at this time is some of the most important all year. Seniors especially have to be wary, as they have a week less of school than the rest of the school. All of the homework and tests can feel overwhelming as the end gets nearer.
A loss of momentum towards the end of the year can be attributed to distraction. As hard as it is to stay focused as summer looms, finishing the school strong will leave a greater sense of achievement then not putting in your best work and having your grades slip as a result. As meaningless as a month can feel, a lot of points occur in the final quarter of school, and it is much easier to give your focus to the work. Catching up in the last week is a huge stress, and staying after school or coming in early is only going to get more frustrating. Finding a way to balance work and fun is a crucial part of developing good study habits.
Another factor of falling behind is lack of motivation. Feeling like homework will get done eventually, or that you just cannot bring yourself to do it now, often means pushing it back until you are cramming last-minute. A way to break the apathetic habit is to set small goals. Finish one class and then watch that YouTube video, or sit on Twitter for 10 minutes. Work in small, manageable increments and the pile of studying will feel much less daunting. Sometimes, just looking at your homework as a whole can be paralyzing. Breaking it into sections can help curb some of the initial anxiety a heavy backpack can bring.
Juggling all of the activities the average high school kid has can contribute to the end of year stress. Keeping on top of sports and clubs along with your classes can make it all the more overwhelming to give 100%. Often, the best suggestion for activity juggling is to work on organization. Write prioritized lists and keep planners. Tracking times and dates for practice, work, and other out of school activities gives you a chance to budget your time for homework and school preparations.
There are many ways to keep ahead of your stress and work as school nears its end. The benefits of staying ahead of work greatly outweigh the temptation of allowing yourself to slip up. With these tips, students can finish the school year on a high note.