Written by Rachel Haynes, Staff Writer
With the end of the school year just in sight, many seniors are fighting against the dreaded senioritis. Are there any ways to combat this terrible plague?
It seems that as students go through each year in high school, they must deal with a new struggle. You start with freshman funk, move onto sophomore slump, experience the junior jitters, and then you are finally faced with senioritis the last year. If you are unaware of what this word means, it’s a “sickness” that occurs senior year, where a student’s motivation and drive to do work completely plummet. It is a very common experience, and almost every senior catches this “illness” at some point.
Symptoms of senioritis include: not completing work at school and at home, showing up to school late or not showing up at all, not studying at all, and heavily procrastinating on every possible assignment. The source of the problem is low motivation, which can be caused by the strong excitement with the concept that starting college is soon and wanting to move on from the mediocre nature of high school.
As a senior myself, struggling with this incurable sickness is very difficult. While there is no definite “cure” for senioritis, there are ways that one can push through the last part of senior year.
A possible way one may try to overcome senioritis is by setting small goals within a planner. I find that planners tend to keep me on schedule, so by writing down easy goals for the day. Setting small goals for oneself instead of bigger ones is better, as it’s more likely for a person to complete easy tasks. Eventually, you can build up to the more difficult tasks, allowing you to get everything done. If a planner does not work well for you, stick to your preferred method that helps you remember assignments are their due dates.
Staying involved with friends and activities at school is another way a senior can overcome senioritis. A sense of community is important during times like these, especially if you’re all struggling together. By having people you can strongly relate to and can talk to about, you are able to help each other get through this tricky situation. By still participating in school activities like clubs, sports, and dances can keep you engaged without much stress. Both of these solutions can help one overcome senioritis.
Another way you may be able to overcome senioritis is by having fun in your final year rather than stressing too much about the future. Living in the moment and enjoying your time during senior year will overall make you a happier person, and one who may be able to avoid the trap that is senioritis.
These cures are not foolproof unfortunately. The only true way to overcome this BLANK disease all boils down to motivation, which is hard to dig up towards the end of the year. Putting in one hundred percent effort into the last chunk of the year might seem unimportant, but please remember that these grades can still affect whether you graduate, maintain scholarships, and your admittance into colleges.
It is important to finish strong, but equally important to enjoy your last few months of high school. Remember to have fun with friends and appreciate these final months. You only get one high school experience, so lighten up! I do hope some of these tips are helpful. Hang in their seniors, we’re almost done!