Senioritis virus is in the air

Many students at CSC are in their fourth or fifth year of college and will be graduating in December or May 2017. There is a faint light at the end of the tunnel signaling that the end is actually near. Along with the realization that you may be nearing the end of school and education as you have known it comes a well-known academic disease called senioritis.
While it is easy to fall into the diseased hands of senioritis, you will be ahead once you get to the real world if you maintain speed and hit the ground running with your new job, career, or master’s program. There are a few things to keep in mind as you strive to accomplish this.
The first is to not let senior year become an excuse to back out of clubs, organizations, or other extracurricular activities that you were involved in throughout undergrad. It is easy to quit these activities to free up time in your schedule to leave you with more time to relax, but this is your last opportunity to spend time and make memories with college friends and acquaintances. Senior year is not the time to quit.
Not only does staying involved give you one last year to spend time with your friends, it also proves that you have the dedication to stay committed to a cause even when it was easier to quit. Future employers will look at this as a professional attribute. It may be your willingness to stick with something that lands you a job over an equally qualified applicant that took time for themselves.
While it is important to stay involved, it is also easy to become over-involved, and if there are activities and groups that are getting pushed to the back burner, it could be beneficial to let some of these things go.
The second thing to remember is that your grades still matter. It is easy to become complacent and let grades slip when it feels like you are a pro at school. It is especially hard to stay focused on grades when it is an elective that you are confident you will pass. Keep in mind that grades still matter, and a part of finishing school is continuing to actively participate in classes up to the end.
The third suggestion is to work smarter and not harder. By this time in your college career you should know what times you do your best work. Don’t schedule work, class or meetings during times that you know you will be at your worst. This may be 8 a.m. for some and 3 p.m. for others. Maybe by the time senior year rolls around it would be more effective to plan a relaxed class schedule so you aren’t as tempted to skip class. Figure out what works best for you, and stick to that.
Senioritis is lurking around every corner once senior year starts, but don’t let the academic disease infect you. Maintain the level of academic excellence that you have held yourself to thus far and finish with intensity. Then reap the benefits of maintaining your vigor.