After breaks, students, especially seniors experience a term “senioritis” meaning that students  have a decrease in motivation toward studies felt by those students who are approaching the end of their high school experience or the end of the school year in general.  After being on a break such as the holiday breaks, our bodies have gotten used to those days of doing nothing.  It’s great to give your brian and body a break as well, but is known to be a nightmare when getting back into your school routine.

While it is important to get back into the swing of things after a break and turn in all your work on time, sometimes it’s not that easy.  As we reach the middle to end of the year many students start to get burnt out, so how do we recognize burnout? If you are constantly physically tired, sleepy or exhausted, you zone out more and can’t stay focused, you feel like you can’t absorb any more information or you’re not really learning, or you start to have negative emotions towards learning, you are most likely experiencing burnout.  There are some ways of preventing academic burnout such as: setting both short term and long term goals for yourself, work to achieve your goals even if it may be difficult, when studying taking breaks or even a change in location could help, and making sure you put time into things you enjoy (working out, sports, being outside).

It is important to stay organized for the last semester of school, especially if you are a junior.  Your junior year is extremely important as are all of your school years.  Junior year of high school is known to be overwhelming for many people.  This is the start of pressure with testing such as SAT, ACT, AP classes and tests as well as preparing your college applications. However, continuing to stay focused and motivated during this critical year is essential to achieving academic success and preparing for college. Here are some tips for staying motivated and focused during junior year.

Here are some tips:

1. Stay Organized: by staying organized you reduce stress and keep yourself focused. Use a planner or calendar to track assignments, deadlines, and activities.

2. Find a Support System: Have people who can support and motivate you when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Talk to friends, family, teachers, or a guidance counselor when you’re feeling stressed or need advice.

3. Focus on the Process, Not just the outcome: Instead of just focusing on the end result, work to focus on the process of learning and growing. Celebrate small achievements and progress along the way.

4. Stay Positive: A positive attitude can make a big difference in your motivation and focus. Instead of focusing on failures or setbacks, focus on what you can do to improve and learn from those experiences.

5. Prioritize Time Management: Time management is crucial in junior year. Make a schedule and stick to it, prioritize tasks, and avoid procrastination to stay on track.

In conclusion, staying motivated through this last stretch is important no matter the grade you are in.  Keep yourself motivated and make time for yourself.  It is easy to get off track, but to get yourself back set goals and celebrate those accomplishments. Motivation is what leads you to action. It’s what’s known as the driving force. When lacking motivation, it’s very tough to perform at a good level, because a lot of energy is needed to pay the price for reaching your extremely high goals. Once you are in the last semester stretch it goes by fast, so enjoy these experiences and have fun!