Education is like being in a marathon, and ILS is coming up on the finish line. Wrapping up a school year is bittersweet, and the final steps can feel like the hardest part. So much to do, so little time left. Students tend to turn on survival mode where they do the bare minimum to just get by the last few weeks. Finding a balance between focus and relaxation the final days can be challenging. So, here are some tips on surviving the 4th quarter.

• Go out with a bang! Do the fun things you will never forget! 
• Stay consistent in your routine! Don’t slack.
• Do not overcomplicate your final assignments. Give yourself enough time to enjoy your free time.  
• Plan! Responsibility and order go a long way.

• Take it one day at a time and try to gave things to look forward too other than summer.
• Don’t let yourself drag through the week and live for the weekends. Enjoy all 7 days of the week and take out the best of every day. 
• Remember that if you’re tired, your teachers are tired, too. Cut them some slack, or communicate with them about assignments that you might not be able to handle.

• Pick your battles. Some things are just not worth the effort. End of the year frustration is real.
• If you have low grades, try to get guidance from teachers. They are there to help. 
• Don’t let yourself drown in final exams or projects. Start studying early. Don’t procrastinate. 
• Enter the 4th quarter with energy.
• Don’t wait until the next year to improve and grow 
• Keep the negative thoughts away and focus on what you CAN do not what you can’t.

Right after spring break, life can get crazy and your body might start rejecting schoolwork. Your daily coffee might not be having the same energetic effect it used to. It’s ok. The 4th quarter usually feels like a lot. Or maybe it feels like pushing a boulder up an infinite hill. Let’s face it, after spring break students are done, and honestly, so are many of the teachers and staff. Stop thinking of summer as a break and more as a fresh start. High school can become a cycle of the same thing over and over again if students let it. Repetition can get boring, so stop repeating the same attitude, same energy, or same results. Make a change.