sen·ior·i·tis

/ˌsēnyəˈrīdəs/

Noun

HUMOROUS•US

a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.
"I try not to let my grades suffer from my senioritis"

You are probably familiar with the term ‘Senioritis.’ The concept of senioritis involves a loss of motivation and willingness as students near the end of their degree. Many of you probably experienced this in your final year of high school, and you may be experiencing it now if you are in the final stretch of your university degree. As I am writing this article, I have a few weeks left before I complete my undergrad at SMU. Over the course of my final year, I have felt myself battling against Senioritis; I have noticed myself pressing snooze more than usual, arriving to class late, and lacking motivation to complete assignments. Despite these struggles, I feel that I have done a good job counterpunching these symptoms and ending my degree on a high note. I’ll be outlining how to recognize Senioritis, and how you can minimize it to ensure a successful final year and end to your degree.

Recognizing Senioritis

Senioritis has been described as a type of burnout. After years of hard work, doing schoolwork can become exhausting, especially when the end is so close, but there is still work to be done. The urge to slack off, procrastinate, and general loss of interest seems to increase for many as they come closer to the end of their degree. If you have noticed similar changes in motivation within yourself and you are close to graduating, you probably have Senioritis, to some extent. It is important to note that if this is happening to you in earlier years of university, or if these symptoms are becoming extreme, it may be due to a more complex mental health problem. Students who are dealing with these problems can contact the Counselling Centre for help throughout the year.

Dealing with Senioritis

You may have heard that sports are 90% mental and 10% physical; I would argue that this is true for most things, especially university. The more motivated, interested, focused, and energized you are, the more capable of performing well in the classroom you will become. The battle is almost entirely within your mind. This is why it is necessary to take care of your mind and take the necessary steps to overcome the mental barriers that may become more prevalent in your final year.

Set Goals

Staying motivated is one of the biggest challenges in the last part of your degree. I have had moments in my final year where I did not feel like doing any work or attending classes. Despite this, I always managed to stay somewhat motivated or turn it around by setting goals for myself. Setting GPA goals has helped me to stay motivated and willing to put in the effort in my school work this year, regardless of how little I wanted to do the work. If you plan on pursuing a Master’s degree or have a specific program in mind that you want to get into, this can also be a great source of motivation, especially near the end of your undergraduate degree. This goal has significantly improved my mindset, which has helped me a lot this year. As long as you have an objective that is important to you, the mental barriers caused by Senioritis become much easier to overcome.

Develop Strong Habits

Creating good habits and not allowing yourself to form bad ones is extremely important for academic success. Ideally, students entering their senior year should have formed some strong habits that have helped them succeed in areas of attendance, studying, routine, and work/life balance. Having strong academic habits will give you the resilience to overcome the declining motivation that you may feel in your final year. Good habits will make it easier for you to continue doing your best despite how you may be feeling. University life can be difficult, and there are times when you may be feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, but maintaining healthy and strong habits will allow you to push through and bounce back quickly.

You must also not allow yourself to fall into bad habits. Sometimes, you may miss a lecture, sleep in late, or slack off for a day or two – this is normal, especially in your final year. What is important is that these things do not become regular occurrences and develop into poor habits. It takes a certain amount of discipline and motivation not to let yourself sink into these bad habits; you must remind yourself of your goals and what you need to get done.

Balance

Because Senioritis is primarily mental, it is important for students to find a balance between school, relaxation, work, and other activities. To limit stress and avoid burnout, students need time to relax and unwind, which can be difficult depending on the workload you have. Be aware of how your mind and body are feeling; if you find you are working too hard and are close to burning out, do not be afraid to take some time to relax and reset your mind so that you can be more productive later.

Balancing your academics and social life is another important factor in success. One thing I found to be helpful in creating balance is being involved in extracurricular activities. Being involved in a society, intramurals, or something similar around campus can force you to take time to think about something else besides schoolwork, and can also be a good way to unwind and socialize. On top of this, you remain connected to your school, which helps you stay motivated. Although it can be challenging, try to find time to be social throughout the week, as isolating yourself and focusing only on school is likely not going to ease your mind or allow you to relax. Maintaining a social network can also allow you to find support in various areas of your life, which is helpful for keeping your mind in the right place to finish off your degree.

Enjoy your last year of school and make the most out of it, as it’s going to be a lot more difficult to stay motivated if you do not allow yourself to take a break and have some fun once in a while – additionally, looking back, you may regret not taking more time to enjoy your university experience. You do not want to be all work, no play, or vice versa; striking a balance is key.

Final Thoughts

Nearing the end of your degree, it is normal to lose interest and motivation. To deal with Senioritis, it is essential to stay focused on your goals and remember that there is still work to be done. With the right practices, you will find that you still have a lot left in the tank to make your final year one of the most successful of your university career.

Dealing with Senioritis: Strategies from a Graduating Student