Coping With Senioritis In College

By Lauren Cabral on March 21, 2013

Image Credit to thehealthage.com user Rajan

 

 

Most people associate senioritis with antsy high school students.  So does the term still apply when it comes to college-age seniors?  You bet.  What can soon-to-be grads do to mitigate the symptoms?  First of all, try to identify exactly what your senioritis symptoms are and where they’re coming from.  US News did an article that explained the two poles of senioritis very well: on the one hand many students feel a sense of “apathy toward school” while others feel “overwhelmed by the pressure to both succeed in class and prepare for life after college.”  The first step to overcoming your senioritis and finishing your undergrad experience strong is figuring out which camp you fall into.

If your problem is feeling apathetic about attending classes and getting your work done on time, know that you aren’t alone.  It’s an extremely common problem, but one that you definitely do need to get under control.  Remember that if you skip too many classes and/or don’t do your work, you could end up not graduating on time.  I think apathy about schoolwork and classes often occurs because students are ready to move onto the next stage of their lives.  So know this: in effect, you’re simply bored.  Knowing this should make coping with senioritis at least a little bit easier, because most college-age students have at least some idea of what interests them.  The ideal scenario is that you would be taking classes that pique your interest, but often that’s not the case.  However, if there are one or two courses that you do genuinely like, try to really throw yourself into those.  Get coffee with your professor and let them get you excited about that subject.  Go to your advisor’s office hours and have a chat. Remember that you’ll probably never get the chance to be in such an intellectually stimulating environment again.  Make the most of it.

You might also try incorporating your interests into your daily routine.  It will give you something to look forward to and that will make it much easier to get up on time and engage with the world around you–even if your classes are snooze-worthy.  Scheduling social time with friends is often the best way to do this.  Arrange to play soccer on the quad. Go out with friends for dinner every Friday night and pretend that you’re all already grown-up post-grads celebrating the end of the workweek.  Do not make the mistake of partying a lot in your last semester; you don’t want to jeopardize your graduation status.  Keep in mind that even though you’re feeling apathetic, it is vital that you attend class and turn in your assignments on time.  While assignments are often a matter of ‘just doing it,’ there are lots of ways that you can make going to class more pleasant for yourself.  Bringing a snack to class is one idea.  (This works especially well for early-morning classes because eating breakfast in class will shorten your get-ready routine and make it much more likely that you’ll actually arrive on time.)  Bringing your laptop and fooling around on the Internet is another idea.  Keep in mind that this is not a great option, but it’s a good last resort if you just can’t make yourself sit through the class any other way.  If you knit, bring your needles and yarn to class.  If you aren’t disruptive, most professors don’t mind if you do this.  The same typically goes for doodling, writing poetry in your notebook, etc.

If all else fails, you can always talk to your professor and let them know what’s going on.  They’ve advised many students before you and have no doubt heard it all.  They won’t be surprised by anything you say and they will probably have some helpful suggestions to offer.  Just remember that doing your work and attending class will get you the ultimate reward: a diploma with which you can go forth and live out the next stage of your life.  Good luck with the rest of your semester!  Look out for part two of this article series; it will be covering the problem of overwhelm.

 

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