As the curtain closes on the school year and the weather becomes more and more enticing for students, schoolwork can become a second class citizen. This loss of motivation towards school is referred to as Spring Fever.

Spring fever is difficult to overcome and although motivation slows, workload does not. Students describe the struggle of finishing the school year strong and their methods for finishing the race with their GPA still healthy.

“As the weather improves I want to spend more time outside with my friends,” sophomore Ben Bisio said. “I try to remind myself that the school year is not over and that my grades at the end of the year will affect my overall grades in my high school career, eventually affecting my life beyond.”

As weekends begin to look like summer days, students tend to forget that grades are not done and every quarter has its impact on their grades. One must remind himself/herself that they need to crescendo their effort to ensure that the quality of work does not falter.

“I take advice from my peers; it keeps me grounded and ensures that I do my best work,” freshman Shannon Gielow said. “The words of my parents resonate with me and make me confident in myself.”

Words of wisdom help students think about the importance of working hard and staying strong. Whoever inspires a student should be able to inspire them to finish the school year with pride. That is just one of the many examples of methods of self-motivation.

“I have noticed ‘spring fever’ every year; it’s the result of a lack of motivation as the weather gets nicer,” English teacher Ms. Erin Burke said. “It’s the most problematic for the seniors because they have checked out at that point.”

The demise of dedication is difficult for teachers too. Teachers have to assign work evenly throughout the year and it is challenging to continue to teach. Spring Fever affects staff and students in Rochester High.

“Students should keep focus on their overall grade point and try not to undo all of the hard work they put in earlier in the year,” Ms. Burke said. “Stick with it and work with your teacher because we’re all in it together and we are almost done.”

The methods for maintaining motivation vary between individuals, fitting each student best. The important idea is that the student keeps focused and remembers the consequence for the work they put in.

“I listen to music while I work; it keeps me motivated,” Bisio said. “I mostly listen to Gucci Mane because his music is good and he has an inspiring story after working so hard in prison on his music.”