Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are five effective ways to address a serious case of senioritis.
1. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
It might seem like you’re in the clear now that you’ve submitted your college applications (you have done that, haven’t you?) and are starting to hear back from some schools. But don’t forget, acceptance letters and scholarships are contingent on you graduating high school and maintaining similar grades to what you demonstrated during your previous high school years.
It’s important to keep your eyes on the prize and avoid the impulse to slack off as you approach graduation day. Coordinating that epic senior prank you have in mind—or skipping every test from now till May—might sound nice, but remember who holds your diploma!
2. You Can Still Have Fun
One of the best remedies for senioritis is realizing that you can still have a lot of fun without completely giving up on the academic (and behavioral) standards that have gotten you this far. There may not be quite as much pressure to turn every 89 average into a 90, but colleges will want to see you finish strong, especially if you’ve been waitlisted or plan to apply for competitive programs after enrolling.
3. Shift Your Focus—but Stay Focused
One of the main causes of senioritis is the sense that you’ve “done all you can do” before choosing a college and heading off for freshman year in the fall. The reality is that not only do you need to maintain your grades, you also need to start considering some details about your not-so-distant future at the school of your choice.
For instance, where are you going to live? Are there additional scholarships you should apply for, or any more FAFSA forms to fill out? Have you thought about your major, and does your college require you to declare a concentration or apply to a specific school? How are you going to get there? Just because you got that acceptance letter and started wearing sweatpants to school doesn’t mean you don’t have any work left to do!
4. Make Friends with Your Teachers
Think graduating from high school means you never have to think about high school again? That’s not exactly the case.
Your high school teachers can be valuable sources of recommendation letters and even assistance with applications for special majors, study abroad programs, and scholarship opportunities that will arise throughout your college career. Instead of treating the second semester of your senior year of high school as a vacation, treat it as an opportunity to feel a bit less academic pressure without losing sight of the big picture. You might spend more hours working on the perfect prom-posal than you do on your homework, but that doesn’t mean brownie points are worthless.
5. Remember, It’s Not Too Late
For some students, senioritis can set in early, causing them to be blissfully unaware of important dates and events. Even if you think you missed the deadline for applying to college, many schools—including Azusa Pacific University—offer extended deadlines and alternative admissions opportunities.
College is a major stepping stone in your career and personal life, so a case of senioritis is no reason to miss out on all that an education can offer you. Identify a few sure-fire remedies and get excited about heading off to write your next chapter this fall. We promise it’s worth the effort; experiencing spring break in college is a lot more fun than slacking off for one semester of high school. Just saying!
Are you interested in attending college classes in Southern California and becoming a part of the APU community? Check out the university’s website and consider applying today.