At Lake Forest Academy, we are fortunate enough to get a long three week winter break. Compared to other schools in the area, LFA’s breaks are substantially longer. As nice as this is, the biggest trade-off is not getting tedious days off for school that other local public schools get. Therefore, for most LFA students, they are about to embark on the longest and driest stretch of the school year. The weather constantly consists of frigid temperatures and piles of snow. For the bulk of LFA students, it’s hard to find the motivation to keep them going day in and day out; however, constantly complaining doesn’t do anybody any favors – including yourself.
Rather than sitting around and avoiding your daily responsibilities of schoolwork and other extracurriculars, the dreary winter season gives students a chance to try new things and achieve goals they set out to conquer.
For freshman and sophomores, use this time to try new things and meet new people. You’re still in the early stages of your high school career, which allows you to hone in on your studies while exploring new opportunities. Venture out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there, whether it’s sitting with someone new during lunch or trying a new sport for the spring season.
Juniors, this is arguably the worst stretch of high school you’ll face (it’s a toss-up between second-semester junior year or first-semester senior year). School continues to get harder each day, and the ACT/SAT prep continues to pile on. This semester is absolutely crucial; however, the best thing you can do is take a breath and stay composed. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, but with your best interests in mind, now is not the time to lose any motivation.
For seniors, it’s time to live it up for your final semester. Many of us know where we are going to college, which finally allows us to ease up and take our foot off the gas pedal. The goal now is to graduate and have a smooth transition to college.
This time of the year gives people the chance to find out the most about themselves. Staying motivated helps performance, but nobody wakes up feeling motivated everyday. Motivation doesn’t get you out of bed but discipline does. Staying disciplined helps achieve your goals and give you the feeling of accomplishment. One final tip is to write your goals down. Wherever you put it, make sure to put it somewhere to remind you daily of the goals you want to achieve.