For this article, I asked Edison Walcher, grade 11. What is the most difficult part about staying motivated when school comes around, especially when things get hard? Here is his response,
“Whenever school comes around- there really is not much motivation. It’s just the “I got to get it done or I won’t be able to go out with my friends and hangout.” It’s the pressure of my parents and myself of just getting it done. Whenever work piles up, I just try to get anything done whether it’s big, small, easy or challenging. It’s part of school you’ll go through times where you’re going to get burnt out. It’s going to suck, but you have to do it and that is what keeps me going. Eventually life is going to become a working job and I’d rather not bullcrap my way through all of high school. I want to do well and take care of myself making sure I’m not trying to do too much in such a short amount of time and burning myself out; at least not too soon.” Edison’s response gave me a clear message from what teens in high school go through when their motivation is at an all time low.
Another factor of school stress is burnout and stress from parents. All parents have different ways of raising their child, rules they have for their child, etc. Some are also stricter than others- especially on the school aspect. Parents can be a very large portion of stress during school which can lead to less motivation to complete the things you need to do to succeed while doing so. Some parents see school as the most important thing in your life. Like you should make all your free time outside of being in school dedicated to studying, doing school things to help you. Which yes, to a certain extent is a perfect thing to do, but too much school and not enough down time will just lead to only caring and thinking about school. And that’s unhealthy for anyone, especially teens who need to socialize. Do your best to give yourself a break sometimes and have fun. Even if it means putting school to the side, it will help you in the long run.