Early Academic Burnout?

You’ve heard of Senioritis, but have you heard of Sophomore Slump? Maybe the Curse of Junior Year? Remember how frantic freshman year felt? Between all this, is it even possible to have a normal year of high school?

Short answer, no.

There is no such thing as a “perfect” or “normal” year because something is always going on in this four stage circus we call high school. But is it “normal” to be losing motivation as early as sophomore, or even freshman, year?

Let’s take a quick dive into how UHS is feeling during the home stretch of this semester.

Freshman Mi’a Garvin explained how school can be overwhelming in both the academic sense and the social aspect, describing the difference in motivation levels between 1st and 2nd semester.

“I remember when I first came to the high school, I was excited and had some AP Prep classes. I was on [top] of getting my work in on time. Now that it’s reached like, 2nd semester it feels like it just takes so much time and overall [I’m] just burnt out,” she sighed.

Upperclassmen understand the burnout the lowerclassmen are experiencing. Junior Lillian Disanto explained how incoming freshman and sophomores are just “stressed out with all of the work we have” as they assimilate into and navigate high school.

Junior Jade White added concerns about the length of the day and everything we’re expected as students to maintain while still engaging in extracurriculars or jobs.

Sophomores are very understanding of the consequences of pushing yourself too hard in and out of school. Aidyn Spanglo admits to being affected by “sophomore slump” and how adjusting to sophomore year wasn’t easy.

“I feel like there was a major jump between freshman year and sophomore year. It got a little bit more difficult with putting myself in harder classes,” he laughed.

In the end, high school will feel a little harder each year for many different reasons.

May it be lack of motivation, issues at home, or academic struggles, don’t forget to take care of yourself first. Go for a walk, take a bike ride, or release any stress through musical expression, like junior Kailee Lenoir.

“I handle the stress by singing and playing the piano. I feel more comfortable and it helps clear my mind to try the work again,” she said.