I think it just goes to show that I’ve now spent the last 10 hours sitting on my couch aimlessly chatting with my roommates, occasionally snacking on something in arm’s reach knowing I had work to do. But, of course, here I am, 20 minutes past deadline pumping out a piece on senioritis.
But how am I supposed to dish out advice on “combating senioritis” when I almost couldn’t bring myself to write about it in the first place?
Senioritis is “a crippling disease that strikes seniors,” according to Urban Dictionary. “Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts and sweatshirts. Also features lack of studying, repeated absences and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as graduation.”
My senioritis kicked in the second I started receiving acceptances to law school. It was clear that the rigorous studying process for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) definitely burnt me out early on in the semester, but once I received that first acceptance, a weight was lifted off my shoulders – and I haven’t felt weight since.
I’ve temporarily – I hope – lost the motivation to do just about anything productive (I really hope my law schools don’t see this). I know that once August comes around I’ll have to get back into the groove of things, so my body has entered a temporary state of relaxation until I begin the next three miserable years of my life.
But once syllabus week comes to a close, and classes officially begin, I’ll have to stop lounging around. I’m sure I have other fellow seniors who are currently facing the same issue – so how do we get out of this funk?
Set goals. My original goals for the year were to take the LSAT and get into law school. Now that I’ve done that, I’ve checked out from college and that’s where the problem starts. Those two things shouldn’t have been my final goals for the year; they should have been starting points.
Now, I’m looking to set smaller, realistic goals to make it through the semester: getting an A in my only class, planning ahead as much as possible at The Spectrum and helping to organize the remaining events for the year for my sorority. Making lists has always helped me in this department. Yes, it’s exciting to check things off your list, but continuing to add things to it throughout the remaining semester is what will keep you motivated.
Get out of the house. There’s no doubt that when you’re lazy, being in bed or lounging on the couch isn’t the best work environment to get things done. There’s nothing like sitting around other students who are doing work to get you in the mood to get things done.
Sitting in the library, even for work that requires minimal effort, will motivate you to get your work done quicker and produce better quality work.
Find a passion. By senior year, you’ve hopefully found something that you feel even remotely passionate about. Find a way to get active with your passion and stay involved. Maybe you love writing – join The Spectrum (sorry for my shameless self-promotion). Or maybe you plan on going to medical school after college but you’ve already been accepted to schools, so you’re in a similar place that I’m in. Join the Association of Pre-Medical Students or Pre-Meds Without Borders.
While you may no longer need the “resume builder,” getting involved in a club that is directly related to your passion will keep you motivated to help out and continue to learn – while potentially making new friends along the way.
Once you are able to recognize that you’ve fallen into the senioritis slump, start looking for ways to get out of it. There’s no reason to end your senior year with the lowest GPA you’ve had throughout your undergraduate career. It’s never too late to get involved with different clubs and organizations, or to just get into the mindset that you have one semester left and to finish it with a bang. Between the motivation to finish the year off well and getting involved in any way you can, graduation will hit you before you know it.
email: sharon.kahn@ubspectrum.com
