It’s reached the end of the first quarter of the 2018-2019 year. The school is done with the first midterms and students are beginning to lose motivation. The well known “senioritis” has been affecting some of the seniors at Rocky. It’s easy to get in that mindset, but it is key to remember the importance of starting strong and staying strong throughout the year.

Senioritis has been a thing for years and years; it’s nothing new. It seems to happen to every senior class with a lack of motivation and a strong desire to leave high school. Keeping a positive mindset throughout the year is essential. It’s the end of the first quarter and students are already losing the strength to push forward. This is why it is crucial to take a step back and think about how to have a positive mindset to make this last year a little easier.

Think about the psychology behind it. Ever heard the saying “if you say it enough to yourself, you’ll believe it’s true”? Keep reminding yourself why you need to finish this year strong. Having the mindset of being tired of the homework, the endless amounts of work you have, and then pushing it all to the last minute to finish it without even trying, comes from the negative thoughts. Thoughts like “why do I even do this,” “what’s the point of homework,” “I’m so tired of this work,” and “it doesn’t really matter anyways,” can bring you down. If you say that enough to yourself you’ll start to believe it. Start thinking the opposite, or at least a little more positively. Think about why you need to do the work.

If you’re going to college, this bad mindset might become a bad habit. Giving up on your classes, falling behind in school work now in high school, will make it worse in college. Everyone knows the work will be harder and more outside of school work. Getting in the routine of getting your work done at reasonable times and making sure you know the material on the test now will help immensely in the future. Becoming familiar with your best study routines now will help this year and future years. Figuring out the best time to finish everything, setting time side for your work, and knowing the notes you should take will make it easier to remember what is important for you to know. Don’t lose that motivation before college–you may never get it back!

Even if you don’t plan on going to college, it is still important to stay strong throughout this year. Getting in a bad habit isn’t good for anything. Falling short, not trying, and putting work off will affect you in any aspect of life. If you know the satisfaction of getting things done and getting them done well, you’ll be motivated to keep that routine. This last year is still important in your high school career. It is easy to become lazy and to procrastinate, but if you start now, you’ll be unstoppable.

The end of first quarter has come, and there are three more quarters to go for Rocky seniors. The lack of motivation has crept across many students already. Keep in mind that if you started strong, try to keep going strong. Get yourself in the mindset that this year is just as important as the rest; it is the last year. To everyone struggling with strength for this 2018-2019, keep that positive mindset. You got this, Rocky!