With the end of the year soon approaching, seniors are feeling the pressure. In the months of May and June there are many big events happening at West Springfield High School, including exams, prom, and graduation, just to name a few. The big question then is how do seniors keep motivated?
The Terrier Times surveyed the senior class. The survey consisted of questions about students’ motivation levels, and the responses were interesting, to say the least. The survey’s results reported that over 58% of seniors saw a decline in their grades while 64.7% reported that they just felt less motivated overall. The survey also asked seniors to provide tips they thought could help them stay motivated. Here are some of the most common replies: “Create small goals,” “Push yourself,” “Put in the effort in order to get the ball rolling,” “Always think about your goal and what you need to do to reach it.”
We also asked teachers for some tips on how to keep seniors motivated. Senior Class Advisors, Mr. Temple and Ms. Burke, had a few to share. First of all, they both try to make assignments more realistic and relevant to everyday life. This way their students feel a personal connection to the curriculum, giving them more motivation to continue. Mr. Temple said, “I try to give them more freedom but harder difficulty as the year goes on. There are more options and things to do, making things more rigorous.” He finds this approach works to keep his students “locked in.” Whereas Ms. Burke said, “When you show them that you care about a topic, it gets kids more excited to learn.”
Although the school year can be stressful at any time, the final stretch towards graduation is the hardest. Seniors are working to bring up their grades, making plans for college, participating in extracurricualr activities and sports, and some are even working part-time jobs. There is a lot to feel be worried about, but hang in there, seniors. You got this! .