The Ultimate Cure for Senioritis
While acceptance into college should be celebrated as a great achievement, it shouldn’t be a reason for someone to start dozing off in lectures and stop studying for exams. Remember that acceptance is never set in stone; just like how it was awarded, it can be easily revoked at the last minute if seniors fail to keep their grades up until graduation. In addition to reversed acceptances, colleges can also adjust financial aid packages to reflect a student’s lack of motivation if grades take a nosedive during the second half of senior year.
What is Senioritis?
A common struggle for high school seniors is “senioritis,” or the lack of motivation to continue doing their best in the final semesters. This is because colleges and universities begin sending out decision letters, and students start slacking off thinking they’ve already “made it.”
Luckily, there are ways to avoid the downfall of senioritis. Second-semester seniors are encouraged to develop a new set of academic and personal goals so that they stay engaged and maintain a strong work ethic required for success in college. Having a good attitude until the very end is key when it comes time for students to graduate from high school and start college.
Here’s our formula to cure senioritis if you feel like you might be getting sucked into it:
Crush It Before It Starts
Of course, the best way to avoid senioritis is to crush it before it starts, or at the onset of symptoms. If you feel like you’re starting to get a bit lazy in classes and not studying as hard for tests, you should take a moment to evaluate your goals. If it’s graduating high school on a high note and going to your dream college, then you’ll need to pick up the slack and start working harder. Do what you did to earn that college acceptance, so that you don’t risk losing it after years of hard work!
Stay Sharp
Remember that college will be a lot more demanding than high school. Allowing yourself to fall behind could cause your core scholastic skills to “collect dust.” That being said, even if you’ve finished all or most of your required classes, challenge yourself during your final semester and take at least one class that could transfer over as a general education course in college. Many schools offer AP classes in subjects like history, writing, math, and science. Having even one difficult class among a lot of fun filler ones can work wonders in keeping the brain active.
Get Involved
By getting and staying involved in various activities like joining clubs, participating in after-school sports, or engaging in a debate team, you not only keep yourself busy, you also get to stay competitive and meet other people. Remember that you won’t be a high schooler for much longer, so don’t be afraid to do something you’ve been wanting to do but haven’t had the chance to because of hectic class schedules. As a high school student, it can be easy to overlook the plethora of opportunities to get involved. Now that you have more time, take advantage and have some fun! You never know where the experience and new connections could lead you in your college years and beyond.
Live in the Moment & Enjoy It
With most of the required classes for graduation completed and out of the way, high school seniors are granted a lot more freedom when it comes to class choices. Use this wisely. Rather than choosing to take no class at all because you don’t have to, why not pick up a fun class that could allow you to exercise creativity and pick up a new hobby or skill? For example, if you’ve always been interested in taking pictures, you can take a photography class to learn introductory camera and editing techniques. At the end of the day, the goal is to keep busy and continue challenging yourself, without stressing out too much. Have fun!
Start Early
Another way to stay sharp and fight off senioritis is to get a head start on college! Many high schools these days allow juniors and seniors to take community college classes and get some general education classes out of the way. This is actually a smart way to save some money too, because these classes are typically free or offered at a low cost. By getting some of these classes out of the way, you’ll be steps closer to tackling your major classes and potentially graduating from college earlier.
If taking community college classes don’t appeal to you or aren’t an option, then you can always consider taking up an internship in your prospective major. This will not only give you an idea of what you can expect with your future college studies, but also allow you to gain some work experience and learn how to work with others professionally. An internship goes a long way in resumes too, when it comes to applying for a real job later on.
Final Thoughts
Soon before you know it, you’ll be done with high school. So rather than waiting and wishing for it to be over, make the most of it. Take a fun class you’ve been wanting to take. Join a club or participate in a sport of interest. Dip your toes in the “college life” by taking a community college class, while working to chip away at those college general education requirements. There’s a lot you can do to keep your mind active, so there’s no reason to let senioritis beat you down!
