Battle The Senioritis Virus!

I know, I know. The sun is out, that vitamin D is soaking back into your skin and you feel like having fun…and less like the drone that was forced to do all these things to make you look good on paper. You did all the hard work, you got in, and now you’re thinking “let me have fun and celebrate!”

Yes, all of the above is true. You got in, you accomplished your goal and now you should be able to relax and have fun. But there are just a few things to keep in mind before you decide to take a senior skip day with your besties and zip around aimlessly in a convertible, sunglasses and all.

As fun as that sounds, there are reasons why you need to avoid senioritis and stay focused during the final stretch of your high school senior year.

They keep watching

Schools continue to look at your grades through the end of the year. Just because you’ve been accepted doesn’t mean they can’t change their mind. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, “every year, colleges take back their offers of admission, put students on academic probation, or change financial aid packages because of [senioritis].”

Good habits carry over

It’s easier to keep good habits, so you can carry them over to freshman year in college. Waking up early and studying regularly will be easier to handle if you’ve built the habit before you get to college.

“Your motivation at the end of your senior year … is a pretty good indication in terms of your motivation for the next stage of your life,” says Sara Hamon, the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida State University.

Beat the competition if you’ve been waitlisted

If you are on a waitlist for a school, all the more reason to look sharp so you can beat out the competition. Give the admission counselors a reason to pick you over the other guy. Ivywise.com notes, “It’s also important for students who have been deferred or waitlisted in the early round to keep up the pace. A strong final academic report is crucial to help move your application to the ‘accepted’ pile.”

If that doesn’t do it for you and you need more convincing on why you should stay focused, check out this article by Tanya Abrams in the New York Times: 7 Reasons to Avoid Senioritis.

Ok, ok. Hopefully you get it now – stay focused, don’t be lazy. Easier said than done right? Don’t worry; it’s not just you that feels this way. Adults feel like this too from time to time.

So, let me share a few ways you can get through when you’re ready to give up and give in to the “girls (or guys) just wanna have fun” attitude.

Make a list

Yes, that’s right. Start with a list. Think of all the things you want to accomplish through the end of senior year and over the summer. I mean the things that pertain to your upcoming year in college (not go to the beach or go on a date with Jimmy/Janice). It should be a “to-do” list that will keep you focused while all the other fun stuff is going on throughout the rest of the school year and summer.

I prefer writing it down (I use an old-school calendar) but you can add it to your phone notes and even add alarms and reminders. Do whatever works for you. Some “to-do’s” can be serious, some less so.

For example include a to-do that reminds you to start reading the books for some of your classes so you are ahead of the game when you arrive to that first class. Review the weather patterns of the city you are moving to and shop for appropriate clothes. Volunteer at least once over the summer to show you’ve been keeping active. Reach out to alumni for pointers on how to get through the first year, which professors are cool, the hot spots for social get-togethers, and which sororities/fraternities are better for you.

Creating these lists will keep you focused on college while you are at the end of the high school calendar and make you feel good when you are able to cross them off.

Make it a group thing

An easy way to knock things off your list is to make it a “group thing.” Share your to-dos on social media and see if anyone wants to join in. Trust me, if three or four people are doing volunteer work – it’s not work! It’s you and your friends having a good time and sharing an experience and it’s gonna keep you on track for college too! Sweet!

Also, sharing on social media will make you feel like you have to follow through with the tasks – or someone will call you out on it. Having friends hold you accountable is a good thing!

If you need some extra motivation, we’d love to help give you the boost you need! Reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter whenever you need advice, college resources or just someone to talk to about your journey to college life!

Go viral

I usually don’t tell my son to get on the computer when he’s already in “lazy mode,” however this is an exception. If you feel the senioritis virus coming on, one way to control it before it takes over is to share it online.

Share your experience on a new blog! Start a Facebook group about the school you’ve been accepted to. Go to Instagram and look up all things related to your school and start an online scrapbook of what you want to do in the upcoming year, like things you want to see, accomplish and become. Visit Red Kite to see if there are scholarships or grants you can apply for. Find college bulletin boards to keep up to date on current events at your new school.

So that’s pretty much it. Think about what you need/want to accomplish, write it down and have fun with it. And be sure to tell people about it! People like to know they aren’t the only ones out there feeling the strains of senioritis – so share the experience and see how something as simple as that will help ward off the senioritis virus. Now, go make the best of your last bit of high school!

For more tips on avoiding senioritis check out these great articles:

• “7 Tips to Help You Fight Senioritis” by Karielle Stephanie Gam / The Huffington Post
• “5 Tips to Battle College Senioritis” by Laura McMullen / U.S. News