I think a lot of people would agree with me in saying that third term is the worst term of the school year. I also think this boils down to three main reasons.
Reason #1: No long breaks off school
Third term is the worst term because there are no breaks off of school. Christmas break is before third term and spring break is after, in the beginning of fourth term. Every other term there is a break to look forward to. A way to get you through that part of the school year. You tell yourself you can get through these last couple weeks of the term because then it will be Christmas break. Or you find the motivation to study because you know it’s your last test before you go on break.
Yes, during third term we have a couple of three day weekends. But one day off of school isn’t something to look forward to, or motivate you to keep your grades up. What’s the point of getting your grades up before “the break”, if you’re going to have to do homework that day anyway, or the late work deadline for a class is that same day?
Reason #2: More tests, more studying, more work
Third term is also the worst because it’s the one where you have to take the most tests. The term where your teachers are trying to rush through the rest of the material before your class final or AP test. In my experience, this third term I have had a test at least every other week. If not more. It’s a constant grind of deadline after deadline. The work from third term just never lets up. You take a test and the very same day you get a new unit packet, or get assigned a dozen more pages of reading. It feels like once you finish taking one test, you have to start studying for the next one.
Reason #3: The weather
One of the worst things about third term is the weather, it’s always terrible. Third term consists of the three worst months of the year; January, February, and March. It is always either freezing or wet and there’s no point in going outside because it’s just going to be miserable. You get hit with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), on top of all the stress you are most likely already experiencing from school.
Third term is the worst term because there are so many stressors building on top of one another. It quite simply is— the worst.
