"Senioritis: an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades."
I'm about four weeks away from graduating from college and it has been a struggle these last few months. It seems like no matter what I do, I'm unable to stay excited or motivated for school. I only have classes on two days and even just attending those two days has taken a monumental effort. I'm tempted to ignore my homework, skip class, and spend the next month sleeping.
This affliction is called senioritis and, chances are, you've experienced it if you've ever been a senior in school (be it high school or college). This phenomenon is a dangerous thing to experience this close to being done and I've tried many things to minimize the effects of it.
Here's a list of some of the ways I've been most successful in lessening the effects of senioritis:
1. Set small goals.
Setting smaller goals makes work seem so much more doable. Instead of setting the goal to "write the essay", cut it into small goals that you can more easily achieve like "outline the essay", "write the introduction", and "write the first paragraph". These all seem much less time consuming than writing the entire essay.
2. Make a list.
I'm a big believer in the power of lists. Writing out everything you want to accomplish makes everything seem more manageable and it's awesome when you've finally crossed off everything you need to do. Making a daily list of things you need to do is a good way of keeping yourself motivated when senioritis has you down.
3. Find something to be excited about at school.
This might seem almost impossible, but even the smallest thing can make going to school more fun! Maybe plan to meet up with a friend to study or go to a fun event on campus. Even if it's something as small as getting lunch at that yummy place on campus, finding something positive at school can make you more motivated to attend classes and keep up with work.
4. Meet with your professors.
Yeah, spending more time with your professors is probably the last thing you want to do at this point right now, but trust me, they're there to help you. If you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed about an assignment or exam, chances are they'll be able to set your mind at ease and put it into perspective for you.
5. Get to sleep at a decent time.
Okay, this one is pretty obvious but I find it's the one that's often hardest to actually do. It's too easy to stay up until two in the morning watching Netflix or hanging out with friends. While it won't kill you to do it occasionally, it's important to get into the habit of getting a decent amount of sleep. Not only will you feel better in general, you'll be more likely to attend those early morning classes.
6. Find a place to study outside of your room.
Studying in your room/apartment/house makes it way too easy to skip the studying and turn on the TV or video games. There are too many easy distractions. Find a new, quiet place to make your own these last few weeks and get your work done.
7. Remember, you only have a few weeks left.
You've been doing this for years, you can keep it up for a few more weeks.
