Draining, stressful, exhausting, horrible. All are words students used when asked their feelings regarding the third marking period, which takes place from the end of January to the end of March. This marking period primarily takes place all of winter, causing students to express even more negative feelings towards it.

In comparison to the other marking periods, the third one feels like the heaviest workload. During the third marking period students may experience academic burnout, which  happens when students experience large amounts of stress causing a-lack of motivation, reduced grades, trouble focusing and even a decline in physical health. Academic burnout seems prominent in the third marking period because it is winter and summer feels like it is really far off. Throughout the school year most students receive motivation by looking forward to the next break soon approaching. However, the third marking period only has two four-day weekends, leaving students with little to look forward to. The thought of not having long weekends or four-day weekends makes school seem like a burden to students.

 One hundred MTHS students were asked to complete a survey regarding burnout; 91.1% of them said that they have experienced academic burnout. Also, 71.3% of students said that marking period three is the most difficult out of all the marking periods. Then 77.2% of students said that their grades drop in the winter, 85.1% of students said that they struggle to stay motivated during the second semester.  Students often begin to feel that school has no purpose during the second semester because of burnout. “I  find myself feeling like school has a major lack of purpose during the 2nd semester (primarily the 3rd marking period). It’s hard to stay motivated and want to work hard when you feel like you’re not doing it for a reason” Freshman Wyatte Lyons said. Students become exhausted from the constant routine of going to school everyday during the second semester and therefore lose motivation. 

The third marking period falls during the period of time when seasonal depression is most common. “The farther into the year we get the more difficult it gets. I feel like it’s because you’ve been putting all your effort into your work, and eventually you lose all your motivation. Seasonal depression can also play a part in burnout for me”  Freshman Ella Himelfarb said. Seasonal depression occurs when one becomes depressed due to the lack of sunlight and time of the year. Students who suffer from seasonal depression may have a particularly difficult time during the third marking period. The amount of students enduring academic burnout usually begins to decrease at the end of March because spring is approaching. 

Some ways to avoid academic burnout during the third marking period include: making time for hobbies and social events, being physically active, setting SMART goals for schoolwork, improving time management skills, and maintaining  a balanced lifestyle. Many students fail to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle because they prioritize academics over personal life. Academics are important; however, personal life is just as important, and prioritizing one specifically over the other can cause a decline in general wellbeing. Many students overschedule their days with extracurriculars causing an unbalanced lifestyle. Students who always seek perfectionism may feel even more burnout during the third marking period because of setting unrealistic goals. According to Johns Hopkins University’s student assistance program on school and life balance, one should strive to be an overachiever as opposed to a perfectionist. The act of perfectionism can lead to multiple mental health issues, while if one strives to be a high achiever, they can actually feel a sense of accomplishment. Once the third marking period approaches many students begin to give up on prioritizing academics to their normal, often excessive extent. If students lead a balanced lifestyle throughout the school year, the less chance they have of burning out in the second semester. In order to recover from academic burnout one can seek help from a counselor and work on stress management skills.