What is Senioritis? How Do You Overcome It?

You’re nearing the finish line of high school, and you find yourself just…unmotivated. You’ve been accepted to college and you’re gearing up to say goodbye to your childhood, so do those last few months really matter?

Yes, they do. Even if you’ve gotten into your dream school, you still have to continue to put in the effort and close your K-12 career on a high note. So, how do you overcome senioritis?

What is Senioritis?

Senioritis is essentially that lack of motivation many high school (and college) seniors feel as they near graduation. In high school, it could come after you’ve submitted the last of your college applications or when you’ve received your acceptance letters. Either way, you might feel like your grades and classes don’t matter anymore, and start procrastinating on completing your assignments, skipping classes, or generally not investing much in school.

The Dangers of Senioritis

Actually, your senior-year grades DO matter. Most colleges ask for a mid-year and final grade report, and if they notice a significant drop in academic performance, they might rescind your acceptance.

In fact, this, along with misrepresentations in your application and misconduct, is one of the chief reasons why admissions offers are revoked. Dartmouth College, for example, notes that they reserve the right to rescind an offer if “the student’s final academic record has lowered significantly.” Stanford University, likewise, “reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission under certain circumstances,” including a “significant drop in academic performance or a failure to graduate (in the applicant’s current program).”

Other schools may take away merit aid if your grades drop.

If you’re generally keeping up with your schoolwork but have relaxed a bit, don’t worry too much. Colleges aren’t going to revoke your acceptance if you dropped from an A to an A- or B+ in a handful of courses. However, if you’ve dropped from an A to a C in several classes, that’s cause for concern.

How to Overcome Senioritis

1. Schedule breaks and things to look forward to.

If you have something to look forward to, it will be easier to make it through the more tedious assignments and tasks. This could be as small as taking a one-hour break to watch Netflix. Or, you could plan something bigger, like a trip with friends or family (when it’s safe to travel).

2. Game-ify your to-do list.

When you’re working on monotonous tasks, try making a game out of them to liven things up. For example, you might set a timer for specific tasks and try to beat your time with each one. Or, you could “race” a friend to get specific assignments done.

3. Get your friends on board.

Speaking of friends, you may well find that it’s much easier to accomplish your work when you’re not in it alone. Get your friends on board so you can hold each other accountable for everything you need to do. For example, you might commit to finish a certain number of tasks per day or week and have regular check-ins, via text or FaceTime calls, to make sure you’re all on track.

4. Remember what motivated you in the past.

In the past, getting into college was probably a big driving factor for self-motivation. And it still should be: remember that you’ll need to keep your grades up to avoid having your college acceptance and merit scholarships revoked. 

Another driving force in the past might have been your career goals or general passion for the subject. You still have a lot to learn and a long way to go to become an expert in your area of interest, so keep harkening back to that during a time when it’s tempting to slack off.

5. Find ways to incorporate your interests.

You can make your assignments more interesting and relevant to your life by finding ways to incorporate your interests. For example, if you’re writing a paper for your psychology course — admittedly not your favorite subject — but you love music, find ways of bringing a musical perspective into it, such as discussing how music evokes certain memories or emotions in people.

6. Look towards the finish line.

You’re almost there! Of course you want to make the most of the time you have left, but you also want to finish on a high note. If you skip school and miss assignments, not only will you test relationships with your parents, teachers, and others, but you’ll also have to face some real consequences.

Getting into college isn’t the end of the road. You have to stay on task, as well as find a way to pay for your education. CollegeVine Advocate can help you save thousands of dollars per year by helping you negotiate your financial aid offers. The program is 100% free! Sign up today to guarantee your spot.