Ready or not…we are halfway through the school year: new teachers, refreshed grades, but most importantly, five months closer to summer. At this point, you’re probably wondering how you will make it until June 19th. If you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or over it, you have come to the right place. Listed below is your guide to slaying semester two:

1. Start your summer countdown — 131 days, 130 days, 129 days…by beginning your “days until summer” countdown, you will have something to look forward to every day. You’ll want to get up in the morning just to cross off another day on your calendar and advance one day closer to sunshine and freedom.
2. Reward System — Also known as the gummy bear method: this is key to finding the motivation to do your homework. Pick a reward after you finish a task. This can include watching an episode of the TV show you want to binge or watching five minutes of Instagram Reels.
3. Do something for you every day — whether it be Wednesday night Crumbl Cookies or Monday morning Starbucks, find something to look forward to every day. This way when it’s 7:49 and you’re in Calculus, you can romanticize at least one part of your day.
4. Stalk AirBNB — Dreading your math summative tomorrow? Looking for something to use to procrastinate studying? Type in your dream destination on Airbnb and find your dream vacation – 10/10 distraction.
5. Support B-CC athletics — Want to spice up your week? Consider changing up your routine and going to watch a B-CC sporting event. It’s an opportunity to see your friends and leave your house on a chilly Tuesday night.
6. Self-Tan Sundays — Although the weather is still cold, with the help of a self-tanner you may be able to scare your seasonal depression away. Applying a layer on Sunday nights will make you wake up Monday morning feeling toned and refreshed.
7. Treat every day like it’s Friday — when students are asked, “What is your favorite day of the week?” the majority will say Friday. Friday gives an adrenaline pump unlike any day of the school week and for a valid reason. On Friday, students are happy to learn and pay attention just to get through the day until boom…it’s the weekend. So just think of every day like it’s Friday, and you’ll be happier, consequently more eager to actually focus, and the weekend is right around the corner!
8. Get to Know Your Teachers — With new teachers in some of your classes, this is an opportunity to start with a clean slate. A strong relationship with your teachers comes with end-of-semester leniency for your grade. Are you often in a situation of trying to turn in a six-week-old homework assignment in order to bump your grade at the end of the quarter? Do the most now, so you can do less later.