We all know the term “Senioritis”. The moment juniors turn into seniors, hit with a shock of laziness and decline of motivation. This was usually the main conflict of senior year, along with college essays and waiting for acceptance letters. However, things are looking quite different for seniors this year. Juniors seeing seniors in 2020 graduate without a real graduation, already felt the lack of motivation due to school moving online. However, seniors in 2021 may not be having a real school year at all. Combinations of problems due to COVID-19, with additions of senioritis, is giving twelfth graders quite a handful.
How do seniors overcome this? You may be opening up your computer in bed and sleeping through all your classes, or doing the bare minimum as a result of senioritis. COVID-19 has us all worn out and mourning over the loss of a final high school year experience, but it doesn’t have to end this way. COVID-19 and senioritis doesn’t have to control your behaviors until you move onto college.
One way you can motivate yourself, and have a positive mindset going forward in finishing school, is using this challenge as a way to build resilience. Knowing that you faced this awful hardship, and are still managing, can be a strength tool to keep you going. Once you imagine yourself on the other side of this, hopefully enjoying a freshman college experience, or whatever plans you have post high school, it will show you that you can survive any obstacle that comes your way. COVID-19 has built our endurance for struggle, which can fight against senioritis as well.
Another way to combat against senioritis and the challenges COVID-19 may bring during school, is setting up a desk where you can sit upright and be in a place where it allows you to focus. Laying in bed during class automatically makes you more drained, unwilling to listen to the information in a google meet. Even if it’s barely moving away from your bed, it is still something that goes a long way.
Moving away from your bed during class is one thing, but staying out of bed once you get up until bedtime, is another. Staying up and moving is a great way to refresh your mind and keep yourself motivated to do your work. Imagine you are walking to class, or walking to The Village to get yourself a tomato soup from Panera. Just because we are at home, does not mean we stop all efforts to be in the sun and breathe in fresh air. Being outside will do you wonders, and it all starts with getting out of bed.
Senioritis is challenging, but dealing with that with the addition of COVID-19 makes it harder. Being in the house all day, hurting your eyes by staring at a screen for multiple hours of the day, not being able to see your peers and friends, can make senioritis and laziness at its peak. However, COVID-19 will not last forever. Neither will senior year of high school, which is why it’s better to make the most of it, despite the current situation.