Winter break has ended, and now it is time to get back in the groove and re-adjust to school. Yet with this re-adjustment, some students are finding it difficult to get back into rhythm to take their finals. Since Preuss has finals after winter break, most students find themselves not well prepared to take them. This is especially true since most will spend their breaks sleeping in or on trips with friends and family. Students use this break as an opportunity to sleep in and catch up and all the sleep they missed during the year. Although it is nice to get rest, many Preuss students report that sleeping in drastically affects their mood, attention span, motivation, and overall alertness when returning to school.
“Yeah I be dead tired coming back from break. I guess I got used to lazing around so it takes me a bit to wake up,” states 11th grader Johny Selomon (‘27).
Getting back into a working academic environment will take some time, so it is best not to rush things. According to the article “Be Well Living / 5 Ways to Ease Back into a Routine after Vacation,” written by nutritionist Kelly LeVeque, one should slowly get back to work bit by bit, as going straight into a usual routine will drastically drain energy and attention. LeVeque also mentions that exercise even if it’s light may help cognitive function which is why it’s recommended to take regular stretch breaks while working and getting readjusted.
Motivation also seems to drastically decrease as breaks end, since most students dread going back to school and many students’ main motivation is to just pass finals, not learning. This can be attributed to the dopamine gain while break is ongoing, then that dopamine being taken away rapidly by work. According to the article “ Dopamine Deficiency,” published by the non profit medical center Cleveland Clinic, they emphasize the function of dopamine in the human body. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and hormone that plays key roles in bodily functions like learning, movement, memory and motivation. When dopamine is suddenly reduced, this can lead to lower performances of said functions. Some dopamine increasing activities students can do is breaking up big goals into smaller tangible goals, eating rich nutritious meals, and regular mental breaks.
The American education system is heavily driven by grades, so students often feel pressured to cram and memorize for tests. However, this is not studying, this is memorization. Memorization does not help students apply their knowledge to new contexts if the student does not know the core concepts of that knowledge.
“I just study what I need to for a particular quiz. Honestly I can’t even remember some stuff I learned in IM1 and I’m in IM3”, said 11th grader Preston Sterling (27).
Many students feel as if they aren’t learning just surviving for grades but they should remember that the staff on campus that want to see you succeed. Preuss offers a lot of resources like tutoring, peer counseling, and a counselor you can see anytime. Remember it’s ok to ask for help. Please take advantage of these opportunities, and good luck on your finals, Preuss students.
