Has spring semester just begun and you already don't have any motivation to do your school work? Do you just want to sit around in sweatpants and watch TV or hang out with friends? You might have a common problem among high school seniors called senioritis. While this is a normal sentiment among high school seniors, be careful you don't get drawn too far down that path. Just because you have already been accepted into college doesn't mean that your dream school cannot withdraw their acceptance if they are not impressed with your final grades.
So how can you overcome senioritis? Lots of tips exist out there on the internet, ranging from having a "just do it" mentality to scare tactics about losing college acceptances or scholarships. But here are some helpful and practical tips from the CollegeBoard:
- Maintain a challenging course load. Urge them to take the most rigorous courses available, including AP courses (for which they can earn credit at many colleges).
- Enjoy their senior experience — responsibly. Encourage them to celebrate the last year of school. They may enjoy cheering at football games, going to the prom, attending graduation festivities, and participating in clubs, sports and volunteer work.
- Commit to an internship or career-focused job. This can help them make informed decisions about their education and career goals. Or they can try out college early by taking a class at a local college in a subject that interests them or in which they excel.
- Keep a calendar of their activities and deadlines. This includes tests, college applications, senior-year events and extracurriculars. Caution them not to overextend themselves.
- Avoid obsessing over the admission process. If they do, everything else, including grades, suffers. It's all about balance and making the right choices.
Hang in there, seniors, graduation will be here before you know it!
