The very real occurrence of senioritis

Are you an academic senior? Are you in your fourth year of college or later? Do you often feel lazy or unmotivated? How about finding yourself wearing sweat pants and old t-shirts, and putting off homework more than ever too much?

Do you just no longer give a damn? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, chances are you may have developed a case of Senioritis.

This is a period of time, which we are all too familiar with. Only four years prior we were experiencing similar symptoms nearing the end of high school.

It’s the last lap of the race, the end of the line and ironically enough, it is when we are taking some of the most critical courses.

With senior core and comprehensives, and graduation requirements hitting at full force, why is it that we begin to buckle in our motivation? Some argue it is simply burnout – 4 years of tedious classwork, often balanced with work, sports, clubs, or other organizations, can take its toll.

It is possible that we expect college to be like high school, where many reflect on how senior year was a smooth ride.

Nonetheless, I can speak on behalf of a majority of the senior class when I say senioritis is right up there with the common cold in terms of frequency and intensity.

But, here are 5 tips to battle senioritis as suggested by USNews.com:

1. Take care of yourself – Don’t skip meals, pack snacks, stay hydrated, and get adequate sleep.
2. Stay organized - This doesn’t just mean keep a checklist and/or organizer of what you need to get done. Balance your time so that you are still getting in leisure time with friends.
3. Get Motivated – As you are about to enter the next stage of your life, whether it be graduate school or the workforce, your current level of motivation will likely carry over to that stage. Keeping that in mind, try and rekindle that inner fire that keeps you working towards that goal.
4. Be realistic – Not all graduates will land that dream job fresh outta college. Take on experiential learning opportunities like an internship or shadowing to get more experience under your belt to prepare for the real world.
5. Visit the career center- Tackle senioritis by taking it head on – start your career preparation and weigh your options. Take a step back and figure out what you would both be good at and excel at.

Fear not, because there is an ultimate cure if you so bravely take the remainder of the semester head on – graduation.