Advice for surviving Senioritis from someone who never thought she would fall victim to the apathy of senior year. Trust me — it’s real, it’s unavoidable, and it’s a struggle.
Cue Winter Quarter: gloomy weather, lack of sleep, coming back from a chaotic holiday season, applying for grad schools, struggling to find a post-grad job, and ah yes… the never ending stack of assignments.
As someone who had never struggled with Senioritis before, I was greatly disturbed by the sudden inability to focus on even the most mundane tasks and chokehold Netflix had on me. As Winter Quarter started off with a bang (aka a shit-ton of assignments) I found myself binge-watching seasons of Emily in Paris, completely ignoring my never ending to-do list. This resulted in great anxiety and a lack of sleep,as I spent the night feeling guilty for resting instead of getting ahead on readings or finding an internship. Between refreshing my email in hopes of a letter of acceptance from a law school and anxiously avoiding those same emails by scrolling through TikTok, I found myself burnt-out and had no idea what the cause could be until it dawned on me… I had caught a strong case of Senioritis.
Causes of Senioritis
It’s not just the fact that you’re in your fourth year of college that causes burnout. Senioritis is due to a combination of factors: the exhaustion of being in school for sixteen years, the stress of finding a job for the coming fall and the anxiety of transitioning from a familiar phase of life to an unfamiliar one.
When coupled with a job search, schoolwork becomes especially burdensome leaving very little time for much-needed relaxation. Whereas, comparing yourself to friends who already have jobs lined up or who are continuing their education can make you feel like you have no direction. So how can you find direction? Plan for a “Senior Spring”.
Surviving Senioritis
Use your last quarter/semester to take a lighter course load, and catch a short break before being immersed in the post-college world. Spend more time with yourself but also with your friends and loved ones before you make the transition into post-grad life. You have made it this far and are so close to the finish line, hang in there! But most importantly, be kind to yourself.