If you’re a senior in college or high school, you’ve probably heard the term “senioritis” thrown around. It centers around the idea of a decreased level of motivation felt by seniors during their last year of school. Basically, you know the end is in sight, and you start to slowly give up on your school work.Â
I caught early-onset-senioritis this fall, not feeling passionate about my coursework, leading me to feel unmotivated to do assignments and overall disengaged. I knew if I kept going on like this, my grades could start to suffer, and I’d be worse off (I live for academic validation). So, I decided to seek out remedies for my senioritis.
Here are some of my personal recommendations for combating Senioritis:
Romanticise your school year
Tip one is get yourself excited about school again. These can be small things, like buying cute school supplies or wearing fun outfits to class. Find a way to spark some joy in the mundane (especially in this cold weather). I decided to start bringing my digital camera to more places like school events and games, and by the end of the year, I want to create a video compilation of my senior year.Â
Try to challenge yourself in different ways. Take a photo of your outfit every day. Save little things from classes, ISU events, or Bone Student Center receipts, and make a junk journal for your senior year.
Fun Friend Meet Ups
Don’t let your senior-level workload pull you under! Make time for your friends. Think of themed hangouts around holidays or weekends, when you may be less busy. Plan a Galentine’s Day, Superbowl Party, or do something fun for St Patrick’s Day. These can have varying levels of planning needed based on what you make them. Personally, I felt more fulfilled spending time planning fun hangouts with friends to make up for feeling unfulfilled with school. Find ways to express yourself in different media.
Your friends are your support system and tether to the real world. Cut out time to just “be” with them. Have a movie night, paint nails, drink wine, or do crafts.
Don’t let your senioritis manifest deeper by doing nothing.Â
Enjoy your college town
Sometimes senioritis comes because you’re feeling sad about this phase of your life ending. That’s completely normal, but don’t let that feeling weigh you down. Find little ways to enjoy the world you’ve created around you; go see your college town. At ISU, we have a great shopping area in Uptown Normal that offers boutiques, bars, restaurants, and coffee options. Downtown Bloomington is another great place to go and see the shops and all it has to offer. Go out to get dinner, or get fun drinks at a bar. Make the most of your time in this town before moving on.Â
Take Time to Reflect
The simple act of being in the moment is a great way to ward off senioritis. Starting something like a journal is a great way for mental stimulation, as it forces you to write out your thoughts. This can be therapeutic, or maybe you just wanted to memorialize your day. This semester, I started a “gratitude journal”. I was given a beautiful daily planner for Christmas, but I met with the dilemma of already having one I used for school assignments. I decided that in my new planner, I would write down one good thing in every day’s slot. Just a sentence or two about something that made me happy during that day. Some of my entries this semester included “I met a friend for lunch after not seeing her for a while” or something small like “I took a good nap today”. I like to do this at the end of the day.Â
Senior year is a scary time of adjustment, but don’t let the stress of the future take away from the now. Finding ways to enjoy yourself in the moment is crucial to the battle against senioritis.Â