The winter blues.

The long stretch.

57 weekdays.

It’s that time of the year again. With the end of this seemingly endless trudge far out of sight, it’s hard for students to stay motivated and focused.

But first, as English teacher Nicole May says, “Know that we’re all in the same boat…we’re in this together.”

Powering through the third quarter trudge takes daily dedication and focus, with an ultimate goal in mind.

“It’s very important to focus on your end goal and to not lose focus on that,” Yilin Dwyer, junior class valedictorian, said. “Set a goal and steadily work towards it.”

However, students shouldn’t attempt to tackle their end goal, their semester grades, all at once.

“The best thing to do is take it one day at a time, focusing on the work and other daily activities/hobbies…” Cole Nelson, senior class valedictorian, said. “…keep moving through every day–even if it turns out to be less than graceful or well-executed–just make sure to keep the momentum going and usually you’ll end up ahead.”

With an overall goal in mind and a daily dedication to see them through, students should also be mindful of all the other factors that affect productivity.

Maintaining both physical and mental health during this time of the year is key to achieving success. Students must stay healthy to enable themselves to be academically triumphant.

As for academic achievement, however, students must know their limits.

“[When] you’re not quite sure what to do, you need to ask for help,” May said. “Because what we find happens a lot of times with this third quarter is kids let their problems build, and it snowballs.”

May’s advice should be heeded regarding homework and the concepts that come along with it. If students don’t understand concepts that will be built upon later in the semester, then future understanding is already hindered. Thus, students should finish homework in a manner that leaves ample time for them to ask teachers for help or to answer questions.

“Do your homework the day that it’s assigned because it’s still fresh and you have enough time [to ask for help if necessary],” May said.

Completing homework in a timely manner also requires the limiting of distractions–particularly those of the technological variety.

As May said, “Knowing when your technology is assisting you and when it’s distracting you,” is an important difference to be aware of.

Using technology effectively, such as contacting your friends for help or using Khan Academy, as May suggests, aids your workflow tremendously.

The same goes for denying distracting technology.

But as May said, students should ensure that they don’t become overwhelmed or contract the “winter blues” in this overcast time of year, though “this period of time is truly a grind” as Nelson said.

“Sometimes when I go home and need a break, I might go on social media or watch TV for a while,” Dwyer said.

Taking time to relax and enjoy yourself is vital in maintaining your mental health.

“…finding enjoyable ways to while away the time and keep yourself happy…does wonders for keeping yourself going,” Nelson said. “If you can devote some time to things you like…you’ll find that this supposed ‘endless’ segment flies by a lot quicker than you’d have ever imagined.”

Take time for yourself to keep yourself healthy and happy. Events such as Students Against Cancer’s dodgeball tournament and Faculty Night Live provide students with opportunities to keep the twelve weeks light, as May said.

“It’s about balance..it is about lightening things up, but still knowing that you do have to stay working,” May said.

And maintaining that balance comes in different forms for different people.

“I think it’s important to keep doing your routines and then find something to keep you busy,” Dwyer said.

Focusing on completing each day’s tasks while taking time for yourself is key in surviving the “long stretch” of the third quarter. In the grand scheme of life, though, one must remember: never lose sight of the end goal.