Alarm. Snooze. Alarm. Wake up. Roll out of bed. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Go to school. Come home. Homework. Sleep.
That’s the routine for students, a routine that first begins in August, and doesn’t end until late May. It’s a routine that students dislike, because it reminds them that they have no control over their own lives. Sometimes even the best students falter, they don’t want to get out of bed in the morning, they don’t want to do their homework, they don’t want to do anything. Eventually, they find their way back to the routine, but not without a struggle. It seems the mythical third quarter slump is real.
Is third quarter slump really mythical, though? Many, if not all, students find themselves affected by it. It seems to be as common as SAD, the seasonal affective disorder. SAD symptoms include a difficulty of waking up in the morning (which many students tend to do no matter what time of year it is) and difficulty concentrating on or completing tasks. There are other symptoms, but these sound almost identical to what happens during third quarter. Is third quarter slump actually seasonal affective disorder? Or is it just a time when brains need to rest, and so they refuse to focus?
Another reason third quarter seems so long and unpleasant is the important fact that there is nothing to look forward to. There are no holiday breaks – just endless, cold days.
However, some students find themselves getting third quarter slump only for a few days, if even that. “I sometimes get it, but only towards the end of the quarter,†said Dena Dianati, a freshman this year.
It’s definitely a mental slump, but it affects many different students, in many different ways.  Caroline Kennard, a senior, has a different opinion on the topic. “’I’ll stop caring about a test or a project because I figure I can raise my grade up later since it’s such a long quarter.†It’s an awful time for the procrastinators of the world, because everything seems so far away from the current moment, but when in reality, they are moments away.
When third quarter comes to a close (hopefully soon), fourth quarter will be upon us. Then summer will come, and you will receive your grades for second semester. Will you feel accomplished, or will you be annoyed that third quarter slump got the best of you?
