As we head into the second half of the year and the end of winter, it can be hard to stay motivated to get work done in time and keep up with your studies. While it’s natural to feel run down as the year drags on, you don’t want these feelings to get the better of you and let your grades slip.

This late-year laziness is especially true for Towson’s seniors, many of whom have already been accepted into colleges and just want to finish out the year (myself included). Thankfully, there are steps and tips to follow that may be able to help you finish the next two quarters strong and end the year with grades that you don’t have to hide from your parents.

Set goals and reward yourself for achieving them. Have a big paper due soon? Set a goal for yourself to finish it a few days before its actually due, and if you meet your goal, treat yourself to something nice: food, movie, video game, anything! Positive reinforcement works.

Don’t get ahead of yourself. Sure, you may be going on a great vacation this summer or to a great university next fall, but right now you have one job and that’s to succeed in your classes. Do well now so you can enjoy the summer knowing you deserve it for the hard work you put in.

Get away from distractions. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are some of the biggest distractions that exist in a high schooler’s life. Removing yourself from all that technology for a little bit can really keep you focused. You’re not going to be productive if you’re constantly scrolling through your twitter feed.

Try to keep to a routine. Following a steady schedule for your homework can be really helpful in staying focused and getting work done. Maybe set aside an hour after you get home to watch TV and go on social media, then get started on your homework. The routine is really up to you.

Find a way to motivate yourself. This could be done by listening to motivational music, reading inspiring quotes, or a number of other things. Motivation is necessary for anything you do in your life – it keeps you focused and keeps you moving towards your goals, and you won’t be very successful without it.

Every person is unique, so you need to find what strategies will work best for you and keep you on track to finish the year successfully. It’s alright to be lazy every once in a while, but once it starts having negative consequences on your life and becomes a habit, it’s important to know how to combat the laziness and get back to being a motivated, responsible student and person.