Second semester, the final stretch before summer break. It goes from dark and dreary to tulips in the spring. Although many finish out strong, there are students that get lost in that darkness.
With one semester being 18 weeks long, doing a second one after getting a taste of break is exhausting. Second semester comes with new classes, people, and routines.
This could be exciting to most, but others have been struggling to balance it all. Burnout is very common in the second semester as everyone tries to finish as strong as they can.
“I can tell kids are a bit less motivated to return,” said Catherine Larson, a history teacher at Upper Campus.
There are multiple factors that can cause this unmotivation, anything from seasonal depression to just the anxiety of change.
Especially with e-learning days now in the mix, it becomes a little more difficult and a little more isolating.
I can tell kids are a bit less motivated to return.
— Catherine Larson, Upper Campus history teacher
“For one of my classes we had an e-learning day and I assigned some work over that time,” said Larson. “I only had three students out of twenty-two turn it in. So like, I think that’s pretty telling how motivation is affecting students.”
According to The American Academy of Physicians, 4 to 6 percent of Americans suffer from seasonal depression, and 10 to 20 percent suffer from a milder form.
Even though seasonal depression is not the sole reason for lack of motivation, it does play a heavy one.
“It’s long, cold, and full of seasonal depression,” said senior Mackenzie Groveau.
Some students have a totally different spin on things and do not see a difference with themselves. But even the students who do not feel out of place notice a change in others.
“If I’m being honest, it feels the same. It’s just about keeping up and working hard, I guess just trying to get past it,” said senior Dion Edwards.
Other factors contribute to the feeling of dread and loss of motivation some students experience. With summer approaching and just the genuine feeling of not being bothered it is hard for some to grasp what is going on around them and slow down.
If I’m being honest, it feels the same. It’s just about keeping up and working hard, I guess just trying to get past it.’
— Dion Edwards, a senior at MCHS
“I’ve seen how people have no care for second semester. Just because of senior year too, some people just don’t want to do work whatsoever,” said Edwards. “They just want to get to summer and it’s almost that time of the year.”
Coming closer to the end of the year there are only really two ways for students to go, pass or fail. It is difficult to experience and watch others experience a decline in their life. As motivation varies, there is always an end to the semester and we are all in it together.
