Senioritis is one of the most significant problems that all high school students face. Once the second semester of senior year begins and college acceptance letters start to arrive, it is extremely difficult for high school seniors to remain focused on the task at hand. After all, graduation, summer and the beginning of their college careers beckon!
While it is easy for students to say that they will not be affected by senioritis and that they will continue trying their hardest until graduation day, the reality is that it is only natural for motivation and effort to wane once the finish line is in sight. However, there are measures that high school seniors can take now to help avoid senioritis and finish their high school careers in a way that they will be proud of.
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1. Set goals for the short term as well as the long term: Setting measurable goals and adhering to them is one of the best ways to avoid senioritis. If you have already accomplished your primary goal of gaining admission to college, you will need to set new goals for yourself for now and the future.
Set clearly defined and challenging — but achievable — goals for your graduating GPA, your scores on AP or IB exams or your participation in extracurricular activities. These are your long-term goals.
Your short-term goals should be more immediate, such as achieving a certain grade on an English paper, or spending an hour studying for calculus. Such goals provide you with tangible objectives and a source of motivation.
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2. Enroll in elective classes: As you likely realize by now, each year of high school — including your senior year — has a certain number of required courses. Others are very strongly recommended in order to best equip you for the college admissions process.
However, by your senior year, you should have room in your schedule for elective classes. Elective classes are those that you take not to fulfill a requirement, but because they interest you. So much of our motivation to learn lies in intellectual curiosity, and it can thus behoove seniors to indulge this instinct.
Taking courses because they are easy is a tactic that many students use, but this is not an effective way to avoid senioritis — your lack of effort in your easy classes may bleed into your challenging classes and threaten your grades. Signing up for courses that make you want to work hard may just increase your motivation in all of your studies.
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3. Establish “me” time: High school can be a busy time. In an effort to get into the best college possible, many students overcommit themselves, leaving little to no time for relaxation. This lack can be a driving force behind senioritis, as students simply make time to relax at the expense of their schoolwork.
Ensuring that you build sufficient “me time” into your senior year schedule can help you fight senioritis, as you will be less tempted to find this time in other ways. Partially using this time for self-reflection, particularly on the goals that you have set for yourself, is another way to stop senioritis before it starts.
While senioritis is natural for high school seniors, it is not productive. Outside of the immediate benefits of finishing your high school career on a positive note, such as earning college credit on your AP exams, it is never enjoyable to look back and know that you could have done better. If you hope to avoid senioritis this year, trying putting the above tips into action.
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3 Tips to Stop High School Senioritis Before It Starts originally appeared on usnews.com