How to Combat Senioritis
I am a senior graduating in May majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing as well as minor in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Yes, that is a mouthful. As a second semester senior, I am very familiar with senioritis as I have fallen prey to this disease the second month of fall semester. Dealing with senioritis is not easy by any means, but I have learned a few tricks along the way. I will share them with you so you don’t have to struggle with the lack of motivation and increased procrastination alone!
Last semester was the first semester back in person after a long time. I was so excited to return back to a normal classroom setting. Attending classes in person made a huge difference for my mental health and motivation levels; however, by the second month of the fall semester, I was feeling burnt out and noticed that I would procrastinate more on assignments. That wasn’t like me at all. From freshman year of high school until the beginning of senior year, I was always full speed ahead when it came to school. After realizing that I didn’t have the same level of energy as I once did, I reevaluated the situation. I grew to accept that I wasn’t always going to get a great grade on everything and that my life should not be fully consumed by academics. I grew to accept that it’s okay to take time for yourself, hang out with friends, and find a nice balance between work and fun.
I am still putting my best foot forward when it comes to school and my extracurricular involvements, but I am much easier on myself now. I think everyone needs to be reminded that mental health and “me time” are very important; they cannot continuously be on the back burner. Once you are infected with senioritis, it’s stuck with you. Learning to manage it is the best thing you can do. Rewarding yourself after accomplishments, small or large, is something I have implemented into my life. If I scored well on a quiz or made it through a really tough week, I will treat myself to some delicious food or let myself take a night or two off from school work. It’s all about balance. Finding that sweet spot will allow you to stay on track with academics while simultaneously being able to genuinely enjoy the college experience.
I have found that these tricks work best for me and I hope they can benefit you as well! Senioritis can be very detrimental to students, but if you learn to stay on top of it and manage it, you can end up with your college experience being some of the best years of your life. Remember, senioritis does not define you. What defines you is your determination and will to overcome the struggles that come along with our good old friend named senioritis. I wish you all the best this semester!
By Nicolette Fontaine
