The first day of the second semester. The day every student dreads after a winter break away from anything school–related.  However, this is also a day for a fresh start. Students come into their classes with hopes of higher grades and memories to make. Then reality hits with homework assignments, study guides, quizzes and tests, and the once positive attitude students had is gone. They dig themselves into holes of sleep deprivation and exhaustion that seem impossible to escape.

But, no matter how long it takes, the hole will get smaller. School is important, but there is more to life than your endless piles of assignments, even if it does not look like it. While students are at sports practices, with friends, or at club meetings, and they say “Can this hurry up? I have homework to go do,” they do not really get the most out of wherever they are. Every student has been overwhelmed with work but as time goes on, you learn to manage it better and avoid the rut.

AP classes get more intense in the third quarter and the phrases “School sucks” or “I need a break” are more and more common. So much unnecessary negative energy is placed into the third quarter because it is stricter, and getting upset about what is happening to your GPA is the easy thing to do. It is essential to find some sort of comfort in the fact that everyone is in the same place as you are. So just take a breath and a minute to relax and refocus your energy. Instead of thinking about how epically you may be failing, think of what you can do to succeed: look for extra credit, ask for help, study harder. Do not get sucked in too much and get down about your C in Calculus – remember school is only one part of your life.

According to PyschologyToday, it is important for students to look for activities to take care of “your soul, your interest, and your heart.” It is necessary to have just as much “me time” as “grind time.” Ultimately, find a balance between fun and school or maybe even mix the two and form study groups with friends to make school work something to look forward to instead of a chore.

Hang out with your friends, go on a walk, eat a snack– just do whatever you need to do to forget about the pending assignments you have for a bit and enjoy the moment you are in, because in the grand scheme of things, it will be the positive moments you will remember, not the nights that you stay up until 3 a.m. working on your APUSH homework, or the endless hours spent flipping through Psychology cards. Sometimes it is healthy to do something for yourself instead of doing something for your grade.

The third quarter is the one where everyone is swimming with their heads barely above water with projects, due dates and tests, but it is okay, the stress, anxiety and late night homework grinds are temporary.

Take it easy.