Column: Lessons on beating second semester slump

by Ashanti Wright

Come on. You don’t have to lie to me. Second semester is in full swing, but you’re slacking off.

You may be like one of the many students who does well the first semester then thinks, “I have an A in that class right now, so I don’t really have to do homework tonight.” Later on, at some point during fourth period, you will be begging your teacher for extra credit.

Year after year, a strange phenomenon occurs among high school students after midterms. Grades take a plunge off the A and B cliff and fall rapidly into the abyss of D’s and F’s. It’s common to see teachers sulking around this point in the school year, and many go to bed at night dazed, wondering, “Have I lost my teaching mojo?”

Since scientists have yet to discover the causes of second-semester slump, I have decided to find a cure.

After interviewing a number of students, who wish to remain anonymous, I am beginning to understand what takes place in the minds of high school students after their first semester. It seems these students (myself included) develop an irrational confidence in their academic ability. We believe that if our grades were good first semester, then we don’t have to complete as much work as we did before. At the end of the third marking period, we are shocked to see our grades have taken a stroll toward the point of no return.

Of course, a few special students are somehow immune to the effects of post-midterm syndrome. They do their work consistently through the school year and earn phenomenal grades. Unfortunately, they are a minority.

For the rest of the student body, action must be taken. We should know that we have to maintain our grades to graduate and pursue our post-high school dreams. The excitement and rush of relief after midterms is understandable, but we can’t let it go to our head. Remain calm, pick up the books, and make your teachers proud.

In an effort to preserve our teachers’ sanity, we should all take a lesson from every past valedictorian and study throughout our second semester. Studying is the best medicine to keep our grades healthy and our parents happy.