Staying Motivated
Four West High juniors share their tips and tricks on how to stay motivated at the end of the school year.
May 25, 2017
As third trimester comes to a close, everyone gets familiar with losing motivation in their schoolwork. School seems like an endless burden on your way to reaching summer fun. Is there any way to beat this reoccurring laziness spell? I talked to four highly motivated juniors about what kept them working hard throughout their final year before true “senioritis” sets in.
Maddie Moriyama ’18
What is your go-to playlist for studying?
“I really like to listen to classic jazz singers, like Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.”
How do you structure your homework?
“I start with the classes I have the lowest grade in first, and then work from there.”
Do you think your work ethic drops at the end of the school year?
“For sure. I think it’s because you realize that [academic] things don’t matter as much as you thought.”
What’s your favorite studying snack?
“I don’t usually eat snacks when I study, but if I do I’ll eat things like hummus and crackers or go with some gummy bears.”
Do you like group study sessions or do you prefer to work alone? Why?
“Alone typically. Other people are distracting and I’m not able to focus as well.”
Why do you think people are less productive at the end of the school year?
“I feel like people get to a point where you just accept your grades as they are and then feel like trying to change them is pointless.”
Do you have any tips for staying motivated?
“If you absolutely feel no reason to try in school, I’d say at least do it to make your parents proud of you.”
Paige Harken ’18
What is your go-to playlist for studying?
“I tend to livestream chill music on YouTube. It’s enough to stimulate my brain but not enough to be distracting.”
How do you structure your homework?
“I do my ‘homework’ homework first and then do my studying. I usually study later at night.”
Do you think your work ethic drops at the end of the school year?
“I don’t think it does. It’s kind of hard to gage because classes wind down at the end of the year. But I still usually have theatre rehearsals at night which means I have to stay on top of things.”
What’s your favorite studying snack?
“Skinny Pop. I don’t have to go through the process of actually making it, and it’s not very bad for you. It’s kind of a mindless thing to eat. I’ll also grab something sweet, like a little square of chocolate.”
Do you like group study sessions or do you prefer to work alone? Why?
“Definitely alone. I tend to leave group things early if people are screwing around too much and no one is getting anything done.”
Why do you think people are less productive at the end of the school year?
“I think it’s just summer. The thought of freedom makes it hard to think about doing work. Nice weather also doesn’t help.”
Do you have any tips for staying motivated?
“Get your homework done as soon as possible after school while you’re still in school mode.”
Joseph Verry ’18
What is your go-to playlist for studying?
“I have a bookmarked video called ‘Best Classical Music’. It’s about three and a half hours long and I’ve listened to it between fifty and seventy-five times.”
How do you structure your homework?
“I start with math and then go from the classes with the most homework to the least.”
Do you think your work ethic drops at the end of the school year?
“I do complain more, but my typical work ethic doesn’t decrease.”
What’s your favorite studying snack?
“Chocolate milk. It’s great.”
Do you like group study sessions or do you prefer to work alone? Why?
“I try to work alone. I’m distracted really easily, but I find it helpful to teach concepts to people as a way of studying.”
Why do you think people are less productive at the end of the school year?
“Classes become harder and students become less motivated because they’ve been doing lots of work all year long.”
Do you have any tips for staying motivated?
“Check Powerschool everyday to make you want to raise your grades. This might seem depressing for some people but it at least gives you a goal.”
Brandon Burkhardt ’18
What is your go-to playlist for studying?
“I listen to a Broadway playlist that I made that’s probably forty-eight hours long. That music makes me so happy and it helps the time fly while I’m doing homework. If I have a test, though, I don’t listen to music. I have to be super focused when I’m studying so I remember everything.”
How do you structure your homework?
“I normally go in order of [my] classes so I don’t forget anything.”
Do you think your work ethic drops at the end of the school year?
“Nope. The past four summers I have been on a show tour where we’re constantly rehearsing and performing. If my work ethic dropped [in school] it would be bad because of the show, so I can’t let that happen.”
What’s your favorite studying snack?
“Probably popcorn because it’s light and easy to make.”
Do you like group study sessions or do you prefer to work alone? Why?
“I like to work alone because when I’m in a study group, I end up getting nothing done.”
Why do you think people are less productive at the end of the school year?
“I think that people are starting to get tired and because there are way less breaks in the end of the year than in the rest of it.”
Do you have any tips for staying motivated?
“Make things fun for yourself. If you dwell on the stuff that you have to do and get mad about it, your life will be boring. So find the fun things and if you can’t, then find some way to make the boring things fun.”