My fellow seniors, are you feeling unmotivated, tired or unable to complete your schoolwork on time? If so, then you’re not alone; the spread of senioritis at RHS appears to be in full swing, and it’s only the beginning of February.
“Since I committed to college over the summer, I have no motivation to complete schoolwork,” said senior Rylie Van Wingerden, echoing the feeling of many of her classmates.
Between that and seniors’ other commitments to school and club sports, extracurricular activities and the stress of the past four years–combined with an early February sunset–have led to an ever-so-common feeling among high school seniors: a complete lack of motivation.
As many of us have started receiving our college acceptance emails or even already committed, our collective urge to do schoolwork has diminished in equal number. Many seniors like myself can’t help but feel that getting into college relieves us of our academic worries for the remainder of high school.
For the seniors we interviewed, this sense of indifference has led to a rise in absences as their attention spans drop.
It’s different for student athletes, however, whose attendance at school is crucial to their remaining on a sports team. “My senioritis has gotten very bad, but the only thing that is keeping me in school is sports and practices,” senior Kate Sullivan said. “If it wasn’t for sports, I would not have great attendance.”
Although this inevitable “disease” is easy to catch, here are five ways that seniors can help counteract it:
- Get at least seven hours of sleep each night
Lates and absences for seniors commonly result from not getting enough sleep the night before. Ensuring at least seven hours of sleep a night makes the mornings more bearable, increasing the likelihood of seniors arriving to homeroom on time.
Shutting down all electronics at least 30 minutes before bed helps students fall asleep faster. Also, stowing smartphones a distance away from the bed overnight diminishes the temptation to doomscroll through social media apps.
- Complete homework and classwork at school
Many seniors including this reporter find that by the time we get home, we’re burnt out from the school day and just want to relax, leading to procrastination. To avoid missing work piling up at home, it’s important to get work done during class time. Seniors in Study Hall should take advantage of this time to get homework done at school, lessening the students’ stress for the remainder of the day.
“I procrastinate doing my schoolwork a lot until the last minute,” senior Ayaan Alam said. “To avoid this, I try to get all my work done in school, so I don’t have to be doing work late at night.”
- Stay focused
Whether it require paying extra attention in class or completing homework at a desk instead of in bed, staying attentive during these last few months of high school remains important. Although it may seem tempting to wave the white flag of academic surrender, to ensure our present and future success, we must stay focused on our work, both in and out of class.
- Branch out
Senior year is a time of nostalgia and reflection. Still, we can take the time we have left in high school to meet new people and expand our horizons. It’s never too late to make new friends, so let’s utilize this time wisely. Having a balanced social and academic life will make the remainder of our final year as fulfilling as possible.
“I’ve gotten closer with so many new people this year and have really been able to step outside my comfort zone,” senior Emma Kirshbaum said. “This has been the most fun school year yet because I have really put myself out there.”
- Take time for ourselves
Many seniors feel burnt out from years of academic pressure, leading to even more severe cases of senioritis. To avoid this, we should take time for ourselves to better our social and emotional health. Whether this be taking a mental health day, getting our favorite drink at Starbucks after school or even watching our favorite show on Netflix, it’s important to indulge in things that make us happy and relaxed. This will help in finding a balance between our schoolwork and personal life.
“After a long day at school and after I complete my homework, I enjoy taking a walk,” senior Jaclyn Mars said. “It allows me to clear my head and get peace of mind.”
With the school year at its halfway point, we seniors are close to the end of the road. It may seem daunting to uphold the same academic standard of these last three-and-a-half years, but it’s important to stay engaged to ensure a successful remainder of the year and put the senioritis beast to rest.
