University of Nebraska senior Jason Gaare recently Tweeted, "Goal for the week: to not skip any classes. We'll see if that happens or not... #senioritis." He explains in an interview that his definition of senioritis is "a general apathy toward school work that is developed after years of schooling at an institution."
The type of senioritis and its impact can vary widely among students. While Gaare feels apathetic about school and attending class, Syracuse University senior Caitlin Moriarty is overwhelmed by the pressure to both succeed in class and prepare for life after college. Many students fall in between, such as Belmont University senior Rachel Martino, who usually works hard to meet her academic obligations, but is becoming more interested in spending time with friends instead.
However senioritis affects students, they shouldn't let it get the best of them. Miss one too many classes, and a senior who may have been on course to graduate in May could have to stay an extra semester to retake the course. Work too hard and too frantically, and students might become too stressed to enjoy their last semester.
Students can avoid senioritis—or at least manage it—by following these tips:
1. Take care of yourself: At Syracuse, Moriarty never skips a meal because she packs herself snacks, and she makes time to exercise because, she says, "be[ing] fit helps me mentally stay on track."
In addition to those healthy habits, Moriarty also suggests that students get adequate sleep and avoid the exhausting "all nighter."
With her days filled with studying, attending class, managing her own event planning company, and participating in extracurricular programs, Moriarty says she needs to stay healthy so she doesn't fall behind.
[Discover how to ensure a healthy college experience.]
2. Stay organized: On November 8, Martino, the Belmont senior, Tweeted, "My life: work obligations > social obligations > school obligations. #senioritis." Martino dedicates a lot of time to her work as a social media consultant, she says, because she wants to land a job after college, and she thinks professional experience seems more important than grades to prospective employers.
Friends are important, too, she explains: "You're really trying to solidify your friends in your last year of college because you want people that you're going to be able to stay in contact with after you finish your studies."
Martino says that time management and using a planner has helped her make enough time to manage work, friends, and academics.
Gaare, at Nebraska, also thinks it's important to keep track of academic deadlines in a day planner, and adds that seniors also need to allot enough time for assignments. He says that, by now, "I can mentally take note [and] say 'this will take me probably about an hour's time,' and that, in turn, lets me know how long I can put it off."
3. Get motivated: "Your motivation at the end of your senior year … is a pretty good indication in terms of your motivation for the next stage of your life,"says Sara Hamon, the assistant dean of undergraduate studies at Florida State University.
She says that the transition from college to graduate school or the workforce will be rigorous and tough, so "the more students can learn how to kindle and keep that inner motivation, the better prepared they are going to be for taking that next step."
Hamon suggests that students take advantage of the "added value" experiences of college, such as internships, study abroad, and community service.
[See which schools have the most students studying abroad.]
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carol joy of PA 1:29PM March 23, 2012
Fanni Lang 9:24AM December 06, 2011