As Mardi Gras has reached its end, the Loyola student body returns back to campus to close out the semester. Students and professors alike wonder if the zeal and enthusiasm from the beginning of the semester are still present after Mardi Gras break.
Thus begs the question, does student motivation seem to decrease when it comes to giving their best in the classroom following Mardi Gras?
Mass Communications Professor Angelique Dyer said, “I can definitely tell when students go into brain-off mode.”
Not only does Dyer explore this from the viewpoint of an instructor but also that of a former student.
“I was once a college student in New Orleans at Loyola—I know the feeling,” Dyer said.
Dyer recounted fond memories of being a student at Loyola and the strategy that she and classmates may have used to complete their work on time but also enjoy the festivities the Mardi Gras offers.
“I know the feeling…sitting in my 3 p.m. Thursday Theory and Research class wanting to be getting ready for Muses,” she said.
“Now as a professor, I’ve always made sure to make my class and assignments as low maintenance as possible, not because I’m a ‘cool’ professor but because I’m already aware of the fact that so many of my students have mentally checked out, and I’d rather not waste each other’s time,” Dyer said.
Similarly, some students echo Professor Dyer’s thoughts regarding the decrease in effort to complete assignments after the revelry of Mardi Gras.
Senior Ryan Fisher said, “I think that student motivation decreases after Mardi Gras. Before Mardi Gras, I feel everyone is in a rush to get all of their work done before the days of partying and celebrating begin.”
Fisher continued, “After you come back from a couple days off and from not doing schoolwork you feel unmotivated to do assignments because you just had a really fun couple of days and the thought of having to go back to doing schoolwork can be exhausting.”
In contrast, some students look forward to the extended time off as a time of rest from the day-to-day hustle and bustle that being on campus and their various activities brings.
Senior Mya Butler sees it as a time to focus on completing last minute assignments and tying up loose ends.
“For me, personally, it’s a mix. I want to give these last couple of days before the break my best so that I can actually enjoy my time off,” Butler said.
Butler smiled as she said, “Another part of me knows that the rest is coming–and that just makes me want to rest now.”
Furthermore, some students tend to run into the problem of not completing work and be hit with the possibility of falling behind in classes.
Freshman Amari Winchester said, “Some students may want to be proactive by getting all of their work done before the parades start but a lot of students tend to throw caution to the wind and forget about completing their work.”
