For some, the first semester felt like a breeze, while others struggled to meet deadlines, keep up with the workload and stay motivated to make it through the semester. Freshman through Senior year have distinct differences, while starting off high school you tend to have a lot more classes to meet graduation requirements. Finishing high school tends to be more laid back considering most of these requirements have been met. So,  how do Upper and Lower classmen motivate themselves for the second half of the school year?

Starting off the school year always feels like a fresh start: new curriculum, teachers and peers. The reason the second semester feels longer and tends to be more challenging, is due to psychological factors. The second half of the school year consists of repeating ideas, and a shorter break in between, meaning you’ve refreshed, but you’re still in the habit of getting back to the workload.

Freshman and Seniors tend to take the adjustment differently, Freshman being unaware of the second semester of high school, leading to a faster paced year due to new experiences. Whereas Seniors have already been in high school for years, so they already know what to expect, making time feel slower.

Since Freshman year is still a first for everything, it’s a year full of the unexpected. As Freshman Devin Poorman further stated, “I think the first semester was harder since I had more work, but this semester seems to be going pretty smoothly.”

Freshman year tends to be more difficult for the fact that you don’t have any prior high school experiences leading through the second semester. Freshman trend to have to motivate themselves through the reward of a summer break; with the exchange of a treacherous workload. As Poorman said, “The first semester was harder… but this semester seems to be going smoothly”… Making it an obstacle of dedication rather than staying consistent.

Furthermore, we’ve observed that freshmen have a more challenging workload throughout their first year, but what about seniors? As mentioned earlier, senior year is just a slow transition into adult life, high school isn’t so much the focus, it’s more the post-school plans.

Senior year being smooth should make it easier to stay motivated right? According to Senior Dominic Ireland, he expressed his thoughts on how regardless of an easy semester, Seniors struggle more with a mental challenge of the year coming to an end. Ireland stated, “ I think the second semester will be harder for me specifically due to the workload I have of classes and homework before I finish high school. I also think it’ll be harder because it will be the final push before the year ends and motivation tends to spike relatively low this time of year for various students”

Although less course work and extended deadlines keep the second half of the year flowing, it’s hard for Seniors to motivate themselves for the Second Semester, as freedom is so close, and school has felt so long. 

When Ireland was asked how he’ll overcome the challenge of motivation, he said, “ I struggle to stay motivated in school at times, however I realize that in the end it will all be worth it. This year specifically has been a struggle for me as it’s been my last year and I’m urging to finish school, however I set myself in a space that reminds me of the cause that this will bring as long as I stay motivated and determined in my goals and my future”. 

Ireland is a prime example of using the unfavorable aspects of school, to shape him into the qualified adult he’ll later become.