As the weather heats up and summer is just around the corner, we all know how hard it is to focus on school. It’s easy to choose relaxation over studying when the sun is out. However, the final quarter is one of the most important and with finals coming up, pushing away the temptations will be crucial for students at Park.
Sophomore Lodo Ferlito said it can be very difficult to focus in the last part of school with the thought of the school year ending soon.
“It’s hard to concentrate and study for school after working hard all year,” Ferlito said. “Especially with summer coming up soon, school feels extra long.”
Social Studies teacher Emma Engebretson said it’s easy for everyone to lose concentration in the final stretch. Things like long weeks and nice weather make people want to be out of school.
“It’s more difficult for all of us to stay focused towards the end of the school year, especially towards late May,” Engebretson said. “We have a lot of five day weeks right in a row, which is hard in the spring, especially as the weather gets nicer and people just want to be outside.”
Senior Alex Hokenson said he’s actually gotten more focused towards the end of the school year. He has the motivation to push through temptation and end the year on a high.
“It’s actually gotten more serious as far as focus for me,” Hokenson said. “I need to finish off the school year strong.”
Engebretson said the current state of the building and the nice weather have made the final stretch feel even longer.
“The building is pretty warm right now and it makes it uncomfortable to be in,” Engebretson said. “The fact that spring started much earlier and we had warm days in February and March made the past couple months feel much longer, almost tricking us into thinking summer is closer than it actually is.”
Ferlito said he’s found ways to overcome some of the focus struggles. He has been balancing homework with the rest of his life in order to succeed.
“I just have to even out my homework and studying throughout the week,” Ferlito said. “Being able to have a social life but still locking in on school helps with keeping my grades up towards the end of the year.”
Hokenson said the best way to overcome the fourth quarter slump is to pace yourself throughout the whole school year.
“I’ve paced myself through the whole year,” Hokenson said. “That way I can finish my work without burning out in the last quarter.”
