SENIORITIS: THE END OF YEAR SICKNESS

With graduation just around the corner, many students may be experiencing “senioritis:” a phenomenon that has been defined as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.”

These symptoms can look like missing deadlines, forgetting assignments, not showing up to class, or a complete dismissal of work.

This can often look like laziness or a sudden on-set of a carefree attitude, but many scholars actually attribute this to an intense feeling of burnout. There are a multitude of external forces weighing on college seniors that are separate from school, such as the intense search for a job in the nation’s highest competitive market coupled by a high rate of hiring freezes and layoffs.

To combat this late term burnout, or senioritis, there are a few ways to maintain a steady final few weeks. Most research has suggested to maintain focus on the end goal while also allowing yourself time to enjoy small victories. US News suggests “it’s important to plan fun events throughout the semester” and to keep a “reasonable school worklife balance.” Other articles suggest to stay organized and find your motivation by maintaining the end goal in sight; graduation.

Regardless of how successful of a student you are, experiencing some form of senioritis is inevitable. It is not a form of sudden laziness, but rather an indication that the end is in sight. Stay on top of your deadlines and finish your degree strong.

BY KIRSTEN BOU