You have managed to ace your midterms, stay on track in your classes and even remember when to eat on time! However, as the semester winds down, and graduation is literally within arm’s length, suddenly you feel absolutely ZERO motivation to finish off strong.
Although many students struggle with this as the spring semester comes to a close, it seems to have a much greater impact on seniors. This lack of motivation can be summed up in one word: senioritis.
The term “senioritis” is a common occurrence in students who are finishing their final semester in college. Although it is usually referred to in a joking manner, many students agree, it’s definitely not a joke. Unfortunately, due to the lack of motivation, students finishing undergrad have a hard time managing their assignments, procrastinating on them until the last minute.
Common symptoms of senioritis include: not completing assignments, skipping classes often and a loss of interest in studies. Many students who experience senioritis find themselves struggling to maintain their GPAs and do not realize the negative effects of it until the very last minute.
The only cure to senioritis is to gain a sense of motivation. Although this may be difficult, it is important to remain positive and driven in order to finish off the semester strong. Once students realize that the symptoms they are experiencing are related to senioritis, they can then identify ways to gain their motivation back.
Motivation can be gained by getting better sleep, exercising and eating healthier. It’s always beneficial to take care of your body when attempting to gain more motivation. Skipping out on junk food and replacing it with healthier meals is the first step. Doing this can help improve your mood, which in turn improves your need to stay motivated.
As stated earlier, exercising is also important if you want to gain your motivation back. Whether that means hitting the gym or going for a run around campus, any type of exercise is beneficial. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say physical activity can impact attitudes, cognitive skills and classroom behavior.
Finally, getting more sleep is another key component to finding your motivation. And no, this does not mean taking naps between your classes. Getting better sleep means going to bed at a decent hour, rather than staying up until 3 a.m. watching YouTube. When you get on a good sleep schedule, your body is better suited to tackle whatever task is at hand, especially schoolwork and studying.
If students can maintain healthy coping mechanisms to overcome senioritis, they will be much more likely to finish off their final semester well.
