There are 90 combined days in the months of January, February, and March.
While literally correct, it feels like there have been more than 10,000 days packed into these three months – and it is still only February.
I’m kidding, but the late winter period does feel unusually long and difficult compared to the rest of the year, especially in school. After returning from winter break, it feels like Highland suddenly became a prison, and not a place of learning. Every day is longer and harder, teachers expect more, and I haven’t seen the sun in weeks! Why does every third quarter seem like some higher power is testing my endurance through academic torture?
“We’re just through enough of school that we’ve used up our patience, but we’re far enough away from the end that we know there’s still a lot left to do,” IB teacher Kyle Bracken said.
For many Highland students, the third quarter seems like the most difficult time of the year. While the first half of the year brings regular breaks and a general feeling of optimism, once the holidays are over, the school takes on a more sinister feeling of pressure and stress.
Students return from a two-week break to a whole term with only three days off and no major holidays in sight. The months of January to march are not marked by any major events, and schools don’t have much reason to give a long break during the period since both winter and spring break are both relatively close. This leaves students feeling like they have nothing to look forward to, giving their school no foreseeable end.
“We have one Monday off in January, then one Monday off in February. But March is tough because we have no holidays,” Highland counselor Lisa Madsen said.
This time of the year is also plunged straight into the middle of winter. As said in a 2025 study from the National Institute of Medicine, “certain weather patterns, periods of autumn-winter or early spring, are associated with exacerbation of symptoms of mental illnesses.”
The winter months have long been associated with increased levels of depression and stress. Part of that comes from the fact that the days are shorter, and sunlight is rarer, making everything seem darker and more rushed. Combined with the fact that people tend to stay inside more and exercise and interact less, leading to increased feelings of isolation and social depression. I promise teachers, students aren’t being crabby for fun, they just miss the sight of blue sky.
These negative emotions are multiplied tenfold for students in advanced classes like IB and AP. Students in these programs have more work in general, but as we enter the third quarter, it seems to pile up with tests looming on the horizon and important essays being due. For students in these programs, the middle of the year becomes an avalanche of immense academic stress and pressure.
“It just feels like all of these really important things are weighing on them,” Bracken said.
Stress is also aided by the timing of this quarter. Not only is it dreary outside, but the third quarter marks halfway through the school year. For many students this can feel less like a milestone and more of a marker for how long they still must go. By this point, students have settled into their school routines, and the daily patterns of school are starting to get dull and difficult to stay interested in.
This feeling of boredom is amplified for seniors especially. Since they have reached the halfway point of their final year, it is easy to lose motivation for academics and start losing attention for school.
With all these factors building into a blizzard of stress, anxiety and downward spiraling motivation, how can students find their way in the cold and combat the third quarter slump?
“Go for a walk. Move your body, be outside in the sunshine and close to nature,” Madsen said.
With less sunlight and cold weather, it’s easy to get trapped inside where it’s warm. But exercise and fresh air are important for keeping mental health levels up. Students can also set little goals to achieve and small things for themselves to look forward to. Maybe summer is far away, but doing things like getting a treat after school or hanging out with friends can make the days seem less monotonous. In terms of academics causing burnout, students can always talk to teachers and counselors for tips on managing their time and finding ways to lighten the load of schoolwork.
“One of the great advantages we have as a school is that we have a lot of nice people here,” Bracken said. “And they’re going through similar sensations and feelings.”
The third term can sometimes feel like a prison sentence, four more months trapped inside with no sunlight, no breaks and what can feel like more work than ever. But no student is going through this slump alone. There are always support systems in place to help the third quarter feel less like a prison sentence and more like the milestone it is.
