It is officially that lovely time of the year when exams start to weigh heavily on our shoulders, leaving us longing for the lazy days of summer to kick in while the unlucky ones get viciously hit with spring allergies.
Fourth quarter is the final stretch in the 2025-2026 school year, and I can feel myself slowing down. I always feel a little stuck during this time because half of me wants to just buckle up and hit these final weeks as hard as I can, and the other half of me wonders if a couple of missing assignments would be that bad. The short answer is yes, it would.
For as long as I can remember, during this time of the school year, my mom will sit my siblings and I down and tell us that this is no time to let the foot off the gas, and that we need to end the semester the way we started it.
So far this quarter, I have not heard any mention of this great motivational speech. Maybe it is because all my siblings are off at college, so she just forgot to do it this year. But now I’m realizing that after she reads this article, it will probably be a topic at dinner that night.
So my final reminder to you, whether you are a teacher or student, is not to give up just yet. Take whatever energy you have left, and pour it completely into these final weeks. We all have different things going on in our lives, different goals and different ideas of success, but finishing strong matters for everyone.
Prove to yourself that you can follow through, even if your motivations are low and distractions are high. I understand that it is easier to work hard when everything feels fresh and new at the start of the new year, but it is important to stay consistent when you are tired.
That being said, make sure to take a breath from time to time. If you feel stuck, remind yourself that you are not alone in all of this. Everything can feel overwhelming right now, so just remember that this feeling won’t last forever.
The end of the year also means this is my final article for Opinions, but hopefully not forever. Words can’t describe the joy I had writing for this section. Last year, I didn’t even consider applying for the position, so thank you to my previous editor and cousin Dominic for sitting me down to suggest that I change my course.
Thank you to my News Production teacher, Editor in Chief and Managing Editor for getting me excited to take on the role and acknowledging my growth as a writer throughout the year.
And thank you to my readers for continuously reading my pieces and sending in the most lovely feedback. I hope your bird is content with the scraps from my article, Mr. Gerth.
Until next time.