As the 2017 school year winds down, seniors are facing the end of their high school days, looking forward to the independent college life ahead. Juniors, with another year of high school, are excited to finally be at the top of the food chain and be the big dogs in school. Freshmen and sophomores will just have to wait a little longer for their time in the spotlight. But as the days pass by one by one, there becomes a correlation between the decline in school days remaining and a decrease in motivation by all high school students.

Julia Gaubatz, a senior at Air Academy High School comments, “I feel less motivated now that the school year is almost finished. I cannot wait to attend MIT this fall and get out of high school.” Many current seniors lack motivation more than other students at the end of the year. This may be caused by the excitement for college and to finally be free of high school.

Andrew Buescher shares his thoughts on motivation: “My motivation has gone down but my grades haven’t, so do you really need the motivation to be good in school?” I think many students share Buescher’s opinion; however, there are still many students at Air Academy and other high schools whose grades suffer when motivation to excel is absent.

How do you keep from losing motivation at the end of the year? Here are some useful ideas to help you maintain motivation until the last day of school.

1. Set a goal for yourself. When you have something to strive toward, work doesn’t seem as difficult and time-consuming. Setting a goal can be just the push you need to get motivated.
2. Be excited. If you find that you are excited to do well in schools like freshman and sophomore year, getting good grades and finishing strong become less of a chore.
3. Get support. If you are surrounded by friends and family members that understand your drive and keep you on task, it becomes harder to lose focus. Distractions are limited because people understand what you are striving for. Getting support is a great way to involve others and get more people motivated to do well.
4. Start small. If you are having trouble getting started with your school work. Start small. Accomplish small things that can lead to a big task so the overall project isn’t as daunting.
5. Think about the benefits of succeeding. Only seeing the difficulties and work needed to stay motivated and get good grades can lead to a lack of motivation. Visualizing the benefits and what you want to accomplish can give you a boost of energy and drive to finish strong.

Maintaining motivation throughout the whole school year is a difficult task that many don’t succeed in. But if grades are important to you, motivation to the very last day of school is definitely key. Don’t let your GPA suffer because of a month of laziness. Have fun and don’t forget to work hard during this last month of school kadets!