College Senioritis: More Common Than You think

It's finally April, and we find ourselves deep in that final stretch of the school year where the weather is warm, our favorite summer clothes are coming out of hiding from the depths of our closets, and that history paper due on Monday is the farthest thing from your mind.

And what's the big deal if you miss a few lectures to relax on the quad in the sun? It's the end of senior year. Jobs have been lined up, grad school acceptance letters are in hand, and the final grades you earn in your college career no long matter for anything. You've slaved away the last four years--and another twelve before that--and school is the last thing any of us want to think about right now.

Diagnosis

So when do you know you're suffering from senioritis? Symptoms include slowness, lethargy, extreme procrastination of schoolwork, and general lack of motivation for all academically-inclined activities. Also a tendency to ditch classes more often than is usually necessary. It's very similar to the senioritis we experienced as high school seniors, yet also very different.

As high school seniors we had our college acceptance letters in hand and nothing to worry about but prom, parties, and graduation ahead. As college seniors, we have the real world, jobs, careers, bills, student loan payments, and a pressing need to make major decisions about our future laying ahead. It's no wonder all a college senior wants to do is blow off History of Journalism to lay out on the Quad.

Senioritis is more than just what older generations may dismiss as "slacking off"-- it's a struggle to find motivation to continue on with seemingly unnecessary school worked when faced with the stresses of having to make major life decisions and deal with burnout. It's a conscious effort to enjoy the last months of college life and avoid thinking about the real world ahead.

Why is it a problem?

Senioritis is easy to succumb to, especially when the last four years have been spent toiling away to earn a degree that is supposed to be the key to getting a good career, and you've finally secured your first job or were accepted to the grad school of your choice.

What might be the potential consequences? In high school, they told us if we slacked off too much, colleges could rescind their acceptance; now, employers wield the same right--they can rescind job offers if maintaining high grades is important to them. Graduate schools can rescind acceptances as well.

And even if you're planning on taking some time off and heading home to see the parents or jetting off on a tour around the world, your grades can still come back to haunt you when you do finally enter the great employment search and employers ask for resumes, transcripts, and GPAs.

Treatment

It's important to maintain the same standards of academic achievement you reached throughout college, while simultaneously making the most of your last few months as a relatively responsibility-free college student. Cherish moments with your friends. Go on a weekend road trip (just don't miss Monday classes). Party like you're 19 again. Attend guest lectures pertaining to your major or topics you're interested in--even if lectures aren't your thing, this is something unique to the scholarly environment of academia that you probably will never have the chance to experience again.

Remember, though, that balance is key. Have fun and make your final semester the best--but don't let it come at the expense of your grades and all the hard work you've put in over the last four years.