You’ve almost made it Seniors! One more semester to go and your four years of high school will be completed. When you enter high school as a freshman, the idea of graduating appears to be distant, but in reality the years begin to fly by. Before you know it you will be a senior and you might look back and reflect on how much of a journey and accomplishment it was to make it this far. As the class of 2018 enters the second semester, a sense of euphoria arises as the finish line becomes closer and more achievable. Although this feeling is sensational there is one less hurdle that needs to be avoided and it is… Senioritis.

Senioritis: a crippling disease that strikes high school seniors which targets and decreases the overall motivation and worth ethic of high school students. Many students battle and attempt to overcome the second semester schlump, but it is proven to be difficult and can take a lot of hard work and determination.

Step one to avoiding senioritis is achieving the right mental mindset. This is crucial because if you obtain a negative outlook to school you are going to struggle to find motivation. Achieving an optimistic thought process is key.

“A lot of it is mental. Sometimes I feel like you trick yourself into procrastinating certain tasks and carrying the belief that they’re harder than they actually are, especially during second semester,” stated senior Recce Wood. 

“Just continuing to complete work and assignments even if it’s not the most fun thing at the time is the best option to achieve a successful second semester,” stated Wood.

Step 2 is to find time to study and focus on school work. Although in second semester a lot of exciting events begin to occur, finding time between activities to focus on school work is ideal to achieve success in avoiding senioritis.  

“Although it can be difficult I think staying in after school and putting in work is a good way to avoid senioritis. Personally I believe asking your teacher if you can come to get clarification and to ask questions is extremely beneficial for a successful second semester,” stated Wood.

The final technique that can be used to help avoid senioritis is thinking about the long term effects. Although at the time going to the lake with your friends might sound superior to studying for a test, assessing the situation and thinking about the pros and cons is a helpful tactic.

“I definitely feel the presence of senioritis sometimes, but to avoid it I usually just tell myself that if I finish the school year with good grades I’m going to be personally proud and I am going to be a lot more relaxed and content during the summer,” stated Evan Van Pelt.

During the second semester another difficulty students encounter is the change in the weather. When the amount of sunny days become more frequent and the temperatures begin to rise, the days start to convey a summertime feeling.  

“Honestly the hardest time to stay motivated is when the weather begins to warm up and we start to see a lot more sunshine. That is the hardest because you can feel that the school year is coming to an end and you begin to realize you’d rather be outside with your friends instead of doing homework and studying,” stated Logan Field.

The final step of avoiding senioritis is attempting to regulate your stress levels. As senior year begins to conclude make sure not to let the stress and workload control you from a having fun and enjoyable second semester.  

“Staying on top of everything is crucial, but having fun and enjoying your senior year is important too. Those are the memories that you are going to remember years down the road. So sometimes you just have to embrace it,” stated senior Ryley Petoff.