With trees blossoming, birds chirping, and temperatures rising, the anticipation of the upcoming summer break is palpable in every classroom at Maggie Walker. However, lurking just beneath this sunny surface lies the mounting pressure of impending exams along with a dwindling desire to keep doing schoolwork. To examine the effects of this year’s bout of “springitis,” Maggie Walker students from three different grade levels were interviewed about their experiences dealing with declining academic motivation and their strategies for finishing the year on a high note.

After making it through three-quarters of the school year, students like Martina Ribera (‘25) have come to the consensus that “motivation is a decreasing curve, generally. You start the year much more motivated and then as the workload progresses, you get less and less motivated.” To further complicate this problem, Ribera added that “students now have to balance sports because much more people do spring sports than any other.” Her conclusion on students’ rapidly depleting motivation is further substantiated by Ishaan Dave’s (‘24) mention of the multitude of looming assessments, stating, “My motivation has started depleting ever since the second semester, and as SATs are coming up, AP exams are in a few months - it’s a lot of stress.” Both of these students have also noticed the same struggles in their classmates, with Dave noting that “all my friends seem more tired, less energetic than before.”

The problem of motivation takes on a whole new meaning for seniors like Anmol Mital (‘23) as these soon-to-be-graduates grapple with rapidly evolving sources of drive. He stated, “In the fall, I was much more motivated to do things that I didn’t see as directly aligned with my intended career and major path, but now I want to shift my focus toward stuff that will help me in the future and not just busy work.” When asked if his peers have also experienced changing levels of motivation, he responded, “100%, yep. Physics C has been a struggle for a lot of people. The C is starting to come out in Physics C.” However, while members of other grade levels may feel a push to avoid a similar grade dropoff, Mital explained, “I think a lot of college apps and stuff are done with, so people aren’t actively trying to improve their grades.” Instead, he has found that seniors with college acceptances need only to concentrate on maintaining “some Bs and Cs and you’re good to go to not get rescinded.”

For students of all ages, particularly those from the Class of ‘23 who are facing the full force of senioritis, it is important to implement strategies to stay on top of their work. As a method that works for him, Dave shared, “Sometimes I listen to music and then I just find that to be my motivation to concentrate and do all my work.” For another idea, Ribera shared, “I usually go for a little walk or … go play tennis with my dad, and when I come back I’m more motivated.” Ribera went on to emphasize the importance of getting her schoolwork done promptly, stating, “I also avoid procrastination because I find that having a very long list of things to do in the short term is very stressful, so it’s good to just try to work on everything the moment you get it assigned.” Interestingly, Mital shared a contrasting approach by which he essentially harnesses the stress-inducing powers of procrastination, stating, “I have started building a list of stuff I need to do and if it gets big enough, it overwhelms me and I feel like I need to do it. Then I do it.” This shows the varied range of tips and tricks for students to choose from in order to match their own work and study habits and make the most of the coming weeks of school.

In his final words of advice for his peers, Mital highlighted the need to prioritize school work and to “study for tests before you do classwork or homework.” Furthermore, “You can’t do everything. Well, you can try to do everything but if you can't do everything, just do as much schoolwork [as you can].” To round out the school year and maintain a healthy work-life balance, Dave advised, “Don’t give up, and have fun on the weekends when you can, relax when you can, don't always work. But try to find enjoyment in the work you do.” As difficult as the last quarter of the year can feel, heeding these students’ words of wisdom can help every Dragon remember that they are not alone. Exam season may be quickly approaching, but if students stay productive and stop and smell the roses along the way, the coveted days of summer break will be here before they know it.