Senioritis is an affliction of students during the final year of high school or college characterized by decreased motivation and severe procrastination. Symptoms include laziness, skipping class, constant panic and excessive wearing of sweatpants. Many people dismiss senioritis as an excuse to be lazy, but it’s a very real and very dangerous phenomenon. Unfortunately, the only way to cure it is to graduate—but don’t worry, there are things that you can do to fight it! Here are seven ways to cope with senioritis during your final year of school.
- Use extrinsic motivation.
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When it’s difficult to find motivation from within, the best thing to do is to seek motivation from outside influences. Personally, I always feel motivated after watching Elle Wood’s study montage or reading motivational quotes on Pinterest and Reddit. Incentives like rewards or money are also super helpful, so if you need to go shopping to reward yourself for completing that essay, then do it!
- Set goals for yourself each day.
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Give yourself little goals every day to help get yourself into the habit of constant productivity. This could mean doing laundry one day, studying or doing homework for an hour another day, or even just walking your dog. These daily goals will help you to consistently feel a sense of accomplishment, and by the end of the week, you’ll realize how productive you’ve been. Focus on these small goals, which will eventually lead up to the big goal that you’ve been working toward for the past few years: graduation!
- Eat healthy and exercise.
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Your diet and daily habits largely influence how you feel. If you eat junk food all the time, you’ll feel lazy, probably bloated and less eager to get things done. Keeping your body active and eating healthy can influence a more positive mindset and can motivate you to be productive!
- But still treat yourself.
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If you want some junk food or you feel like skipping a workout to watch Netflix, it’s okay. You don’t have to be perfect all the time. Keep the bad habits to a minimum and allow yourself time to breathe. Sometimes you deserve to rest.
- Seek help from your mentors and advisors.
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If you still find yourself struggling to gain motivation, look to get advice and emotional support from the people who are rooting for you. It can be so helpful to just talk to someone about how you feel. With senioritis, what we need most is support from those who care about us while we figure things out for ourselves.
- Be proud of yourself.
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As unmotivated as you may feel during your senior year, it’s important to remind yourself that you did it! You’ve successfully gotten yourself through the first three years, and now there’s only one year left. Soon you’ll be graduating and moving onto the next chapter of your life, which is a huge deal! Congratulations on bringing yourself this far!
- Enjoy your final year.
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Whether you’re completing your final year of high school or college, it’s important to enjoy the time that you have left in school. You don’t want to look back and feel like you missed out. Try to go out with your friends, spend quality time with your family, go to an amusement park, and ultimately just do what you want to do. Things happen so quickly, and you’ll be walking across the stage in your cap and gown sooner than you think. Make the most of the time you have left at this amazing school!
The last year of college is hard. It’s bittersweet, stressful, and for many of us, it’s often difficult to stay on top of everything, because we feel lazy all the time. But with these tips, you’re guaranteed to have a successful, fun and memorable year. Congratulations on being a senior, and good luck with your final year! I’m rooting for you to finish strong!