Are you experiencing a lack of motivation, a downward trend in grades, an increase in tardiness and absences? Are you quitting your once favorite extracurricular activities? You don’t need to schedule a doctor’s appointment for this one. My medical diagnosis is a severe case of Senioritis.
Seniors Mallory Baker and Becca Hansen hit the books to fight senioritis. Photo by Ed Gloor
It’s January and college acceptance letters are piling up, certifying every senior’s wishful thoughts of future days. However, teachers and parents are urging students to stay focused through this final time. For those of you in AP classes, your attention in these last months can be the difference between having to take that dreaded math or science class next year instead of being able to minimize your schedule and enjoy extracurricular activities in college to the fullest. And for those striving to get their last, needed credits, every day is all the more important with graduation on the line. As much fun as it was to paint your senior parking spot last summer, it won’t be as exciting next year. So if you bare this in mind you may learn the few essential tips that will keep you moving full speed ahead.
Look Forward to Interim Events: Thinking about the next five months as a whole will make the rest of your year drag along like an eternity. Instead of spending your days daydreaming of summer break, focus on events such as Eros (Feb 11), the week off for CSAP (March 5-9), Spring break (March 26-30), the Mr. TJ Pageant (April 13), and Prom (April 21).
Stay Busy- DO MORE not less: Just because you’re tired of school doesn’t mean you should give up all activities relating to it. Join a club or even a sport; spring activities are right around the corner. For the guys: lacrosse, baseball, swimming, and track. For the girls: tennis, soccer, golf, and track. This will help keep you going and will be an extra release. Participation in a sport requires passing grades, so this may be the motivation you need. You may even meet someone new!
Take Pride: Strive to be proud of yourself for finishing strongly. When you sit down in the crowd of graduates, realize how much you deserve to be there, knowing how much work you put into it all. It’s important to remember that the energy you finish with one year will be the energy you begin with the next year. College will be a new and exciting time without a doubt; however, if you spent the last year of high school sliding by and taking classes that didn’t truly push you, you may find yourself trying to furiously catch up rather than easily adjusting and soaking the experience in.
Plan Ahead: College applications are long and tedious. The fact that you must completely expose everything about yourself in order to be accepted is pressure enough, and that’s not even including the burden of writing the numerous essays that scholarships require. Trying to balance all of this on top of making the most out of the time with your friends and family can be more than hectic. Look at every scholarship that relates to you and apply! Map it all out. Write down the dates of when scholarships are due to help you space out the whole application. Using your planner or a calendar for the next few months will help you organize and prioritize, saving you from a complete mental breakdown.
Have Fun: Gandhi put it best: “There is nothing that wastes the body like worry.” Applying for everything is important, but in the midst of all the turmoil it’s easy to forget to enjoy it all. Many adults find that reliving their high school days is what keeps them young. This may in fact be one of the best times of your life, so enjoy it to the fullest and don’t regret a moment.
I have good news for the class of 2012: The end (…or the beginning) is in sight.
