Senioritis has hit me hard: Missing class, finishing my assignments last minute, and doing the bare minimum to be able to make it through until graduation. It’s been great being able to just laze around, but at the same time, I worry about my loss of motivation. And because of this crisis already starting in fall quarter, I’ve found a few ways to be able to make it through the year without losing motivation.
- Work towards your post-grad goals
For the first time in my life, I feel like I don’t have an exact plan for the next chapter of my life. I have always planned to try and get into college, and do well during my time there. Now, as this chapter comes to an end, I’m realizing I have a lot more freedom with what I do with my time in the next step of my life. Whether it’s going to graduate school, getting a job, or traveling the world, start getting excited about what you can do after college! There is only so much time that we get to live our life the way we do currently and make plans with such freedom, so take advantage of it before it is too late!
- Invest in your hobbies
As I spent so much time dedicating myself to my academic career, my extracurriculars, and my college social life, I lost sight of many of my hobbies. They were either difficult to maintain with my new college life in a location away from home, or I just didn’t prioritize them enough throughout the years. But now, as a senior, I’m realizing that once I enter my life of “adulting,” I’m not going to have much time to just contribute to activities I enjoy. I will soon be consumed by the workforce and building my career, repeating the same cycle I experienced in college where I didn’t make enough time for my hobbies. So now, I want to make use of my time to get back into the activities I once loved and start making it a more regular part of my routine as I start a much busier phase of my life.
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
It is our last year of college! Take it all in! For some of us, this is the last year of our academic career. For others, it marks the completion of our first step toward our big career goals. And some find it to be a conclusion to an environment that wasn’t the fit for them. Whatever it is, it is the closing of a significant time in our lives, so make the most of it. Yes, we may be slacking off a bit, but we have worked so hard for the past three years, and we have quite a lot of work cut out for us as we move forward with our lives. So, I plan to spend quality time with my friends, give myself some grace in being lazy on a Thursday, and end my college career on a high note filled with memories and aspirations for the next year.
Senioritis may feel like we are letting ourselves go. But don’t forget how much you have worked to have earned some time for yourself, for working towards other goals, and for celebrating that you are GRADUATING!! To all my seniors, I hope you look at senioritis as an homage to the years of dedication and work and enjoy your last year at UC Davis!