THE TANK


The Lazy Days of 3rd Quarter

Monday, January 12, 2009 By Elizabeth Sharkey

After a long winter break , alarm clocks are buzzing, school buses are running , and students are realizing 3rd quarter is finally here. Students are faced with a very difficult decision . W ill they put their energy in class and into their school work or will they decide not to concentrate on their studies and start planning for spring break ?! According to Science Teacher Mr. Bishop, "It depends on how students did in the first semeste r. I f they didn't do well , most students usually just give up." Students have the belief 3rd quarter is the longest quarter of the school ye ar, and they are actually correct! " [By] The number of days, it is the longest quarter, but we have all these small breaks in between which makes the quarter seem longer , " said Mr. Bishop. Most students have a tendency to shut down just a little too early. Junior Becky Balliett believes , "School is almost over and everybody starts getting all excited and so it seems like its taking so much longer." Sophomore Emily Crews has a totally differen t theory. " I think after everybody comes back from our break nobody really feels like working so they start to sla ck off," she explained. Most student's grades slip at some point in the school year, and it seems that the 3rd quarter is the time they do. "With hard work and a focused agenda those grades can improve ", comments Mr. Bishop. Student 's who find themselves behind on their grades after the semester will either make the decision to work hard and bring their grades up o r will just simply give up and not bother trying. With college recruit ers looking into perspective students, the decision to slack off and not try could have difficult consequences for the student to deal with when it comes time to apply for college. As we enter 3rd quarte r, students must realize the importance of each quarte r' s final grade . T hose grades will determine their ability to get into the college of their choice. Making the right decisions now will affect your career choices in the future , so get to work CHS!