Submitted by: Yasmine Bender, Vice-President of Development
Ah, the legend of Senioritis. About two months into the final year of high school, the seniors of all high schools catch a “disease” known as Senioritis. Seniors become lazy, they procrastinate, they are late to events and meetings, and often use the phrase “one more year.” As a senior myself, I can assure that this “disease” is rather contagious, however, there is a cure. I am here to give you my tips and tricks on how to combat senioritis. (And to those of you who aren’t seniors, read and pay attention closely! You’ll need this information one day too!)
First, look forward to your favorite days. Keep small goals. If you have a concert, game, performance, a break coming up, or an FCCLA event, count down the days until that particular time. Breaking your year down into small chunks makes the year not only fly by faster, but you spend your days smiling about the memories yet to come.
Another technique that I have been using this year is to stay organized. It is very easy to forget what assignments I have and when they are due. I also often forget the dates of appointments or games. To combat this issue, I have a planner where I write down all of my assignments and when they are due. I even go as far to create checkboxes near them to signify their completion. Yes, I am aware of how “nerdy” this makes me, but believe me, since keeping my life in a planner, I have never stayed more on top of the ball.
Something else that you may find to be helpful in your adventure of catching Senioritis is to keep your eye on the prize. What are your goals after high school? Do you want to become a doctor, lawyer, FCS teacher, interior designer, entrepreneur, or artist? Do you want to go to college, get a job, make a career, and/ or make a living? Do you want to have a family, have many dogs, own your own ranch, or own a company? Personally, I want to become a Psychologist. Most of my days are spent mentally chasing that goal. Sometimes seeing personal goals is a way for you to get your mind off of your Senioritis.
Finally, I recommend enjoying the time you have left. In a year, you won’t be sitting staring at the same four walls you’ve been staring at for years on end. You won’t know every single person you take a class with. You won’t be living at home. You won’t be living the life you have been living for the last eighteen years. Personally, I have tried very hard to savor every moment of time I have left in high school. Make memories with your friends you’ll tell your grandkids one day. Pay attention in math class when you learn the square root of pi, and someday you randomly need to know it. Put your phone away and live in the moment of a basketball game. Cheer as loud as you can on the sidelines. Cherish the moments you have left with your class. If your school is like mine, you’ve been with the same people since preschool. And while that is a long time to have created memories with them, a few months more of them won’t hurt. In summary, live in the moment of your senior year. Make it YOUR senior year.
Senioritis is inevitable. Even the students you never thought would catch it, do. The least we can do is learn to combat and attempt to overcome it. Don’t fall victim to the side effects of senioritis. Overcome them and make your senior year one to remember for the right reasons.