It’s the halfway point in the school year. A new semester to start fresh. An opportunity to reset grades and friendships. A time to learn something new from new classes/courses. A chance to make new memories and meet new people. 

However, many students view it in this light: it’s the halfway point in the school year, a time when they begin to feel tired, overwhelmed, and bored. Lacking the energy and enthusiasm they once had at the beginning of the year as they feel drowned in work, trying to breathe less stressful air. This is what most like to call: “second semester slump.”

This is the term used to describe the weight students feel on their shoulders as they start the second semester of the school year. Exhaustion, missing assignments, the struggle to get out of bed, and dropping grades are just some of the symptoms that the second semester slump brings to the table. After the stressful final exams of the first semester, students are thrown right back into another semester of school. With no adequate break period in between the semesters, stress keeps piling up as students are still recovering from first semester burnt-out. 

Sophomore Joshua Chilukuri feels that “the way finals are set up right now makes it hard to adapt to a new semester and puts you into a stressful situation. Second semester starts just like that, with a high influx of school activities and a shortened semester.”

New schedules introduce a whole new set of problems. Students must adjust to new classmates, new teachers, and ultimately, a new school routine. However, the lack of motivation still stays. It’s the same school day all over again, except there are still months left until the big (summer) break. The struggle to stay attentive during lessons and be on top of schoolwork is the struggle that many students come to face.

Freshman Lily Kedrowski shares her opinion on the subject: “I feel like my second semester classes are much harder than first semester and I miss my friends. It’s been hard getting used to having more homework. I’m trying to improve my study habits, so I don’t fall behind and so that I get my homework done every day.” 

There are a few ways to push through and overcome this “slump.” It is important as a student to develop coping skills to deal with the stress and lack of productivity. Turning to friends and family for help and support can help you lift the burden of stress off your shoulders. Listening to music is a great way to calm down those nerves and lighten up a stressful day. Developing good study habits, for example, organizing a to-do list in a planner, can help you get a grip on your workload. Other activities such as reading, journaling, or even taking a walk can give your mind a healthy mental break. Using these coping mechanisms can provide a stepping stone to feeling more motivated and increasing productivity.

The second semester slump can have many detrimental effects on a student’s mental health. But by turning the sleeping in class to feeling more attentive, and turning the stress into something more manageable, you might just have a chance of beating this school-life pandemic.