How to Combat Senioritis

The term “senioritis” is familiar one, often used by high school and college seniors to describe their extreme lack of motivation and concern for their academics. April is right around the corner––literally, right there, and that means a majority of seniors are reaching the height of their senioritis.
We’ve been in college for fours years, and after spending more than 75 percent of our lives in school, our minds are exhausted. Academia and the pressure to do well has taken its toll, and with 52 days left until graduation, the light at the end of the tunnel is shining. It’s shining bright, and as we all know, the sun can drain you out. So my advice to you, grab that sunblock and a bottle of water, because college isn’t over yet and your still need enough energy to get that diploma.
Here are some tips on how to combat senioritis and make it through these next two months:
1) Work hard, play hard
Find a healthy balance between academics and a social life. Putting all your focus on school will just make you more stressed out and isolated; and solely focusing on having the best social life, while satisfying in the moment, will eventually build up to a mound of overwhelming stress. So instead, work hard on tasks for your classes and then treat yourself every once in awhile––when you’ve actually been productive and are even ahead on your work.
2) Stay organized
It’s all about time management, and part of this is keeping a checklist and being accountable for it. You can either trust yourself to monitor your work or have a buddy system with your roommate(s) and/or friend(s), where both of you keep each other on top of your responsibilities. I’m a big advocate of lists and organization. I swear, nothing eases your work anxiety like marking off a completed task.
3) Find a stress reliever
Finding something on or off campus to relieve your stress is crucial. You need something, other than partying, to take your mind off school and work. Pick up something new, like knitting (it’s not just for old people) or take one of those free classes at the Rec Center––anything to loosen up and give you an outlet.
4) Create a bucket list
This may seem like the thing you should have done when entering college, but as the movie The Bucket List taught us, it’s never too late to have incredible adventures. A bucket list of all the things you want to accomplish before graduating will provide you with alternate and fun goals, momentarily switching your focus from school and other stressors to making memories and really enjoying your last few months of college.