By Jackson Mendoza ‘23

January, February, and March, better known as “The Death Quarter,” is here. During this time period, freshmen start to slack off and not give the full effort they usually do, which could easily result in the “death” of their grades.  As much as teachers warn their students, “The Death Quarter” always wins.

Starting high school is an experience unlike any other; new school, new classmates, and a new schedule. The first three months of the school year are typically the learning period for freshmen. Students are eager to turn in assignments on time and get off to a good start.

Along with a brand new school year, freshmen are able to stay engaged due to the football season. Going to the games and being a part of the action is a key factor in staying engaged in the first semester.

Freshmen students usually excel in the first semester due to the excitement but then January hits. Once “The Death Quarter” starts, freshmen start to lose focus and slack off on their work. The adrenaline of starting at a brand new school has worn off and the freshmen begin to feel the fatigue. If it was not hard enough for the freshmen, now they have to deal with the death quarter.

Freshman Alec Mendoza says, “It is hard to stay focused in the winter after trying as hard as you can at the start of the first semester.”

The grades start to drop and the missing assignments start to go up.

While freshmen are battling against “The Death Quarter”, seniors are fighting the same fight. Senioritis is a very real thing and every single senior in the school can attest to it in some way shape or form.

Senior Adrian Peñuelas says, “We only have a few more months left and I am just trying to hold on.”

All the seniors are racing to the finish line and are eager to begin the next chapter in their lives.

Freshmen and seniors have one thing and one thing only in common, “The Death Quarter” beats them both. It is important to stay on top of your grades as much as possible, but it is also understandable why students’ grades begin to drop. No matter how hard anybody tries to escape it, “The Death Quarter” always prevails.