Senioritis.
The notorious upperclassman bug that brings about poor grades, bad decisions, and a lack of overall motivation has finally arrived in Iowa City. And despite my best intentions, the “sickness” has recently hit me as I prepare to leave this wonderful place and graduate in a little under three weeks.
Now, for context, I haven’t completely neglected my studies nor have I totally stopped caring about my personal well-being and hygiene. But I recently have found that I just simply do not care all that much about what happens between now and before I put on the Black and Gold gown and strut across the stage at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
I typically like to consider myself an active, motivated, and all-around hard-working guy when it comes to school and extracurricular activities. But since the start of April, I have simply been “checked out.”
Although this is typically seen as a “traditional” state of mind to be in for someone in my position — a graduating senior with a job lined up and a fairly light course load — it truly is becoming a bigger issue as the
weeks progress.
And I’m not the only one.
Thousands of other seniors both in Iowa City and around the country are feeling the same way.
This phenomenon, despite being quirky and endearing to some, is beginning to seriously hurt productivity, and there needs to be an intercollegiate cultural shift in order to finish the year out strong and begin the scary yet essential transition into adulthood.
Students all over recognize the need to change their ways but often find it hard to gather the motivation to shift their mentality when the finish line is this close. And as more and more students’ post-graduate futures materialize, it’s only going to get worse.
This is the case for Abbie Chong, a fourth-year business and marketing major who just recently secured a position working full-time after she graduates. Since landing the big gig, Chong has fallen ill with “senioritis” and has claimed that even though her dedication to her academics hasn’t necessarily wavered, her personal motivation to finish strong — especially when the weather is nice — has.
She said her “senioritis” was most debilitating after spring break when everyone returned to campus after getting a sense of being done with school.
“Honestly, having a taste of warm weather and little homework to get done or exams to study for has felt refreshing and relieving. It was definitely challenging getting back to school after spring break, especially knowing that this was my last spring break ever,” Chong said. “It’s hard to come to terms with it.”
Chong went on to say that since her plans after May 17 are fairly concrete, her “senioritis” has definitely been nagging at her motivation. She believes now that her “grades have already served their purpose,” and she internally “feels less pressure to perform,” given her immediate future is already set.
Other students, like fourth-year screenwriting major Ethan Umina, have been a little more forward.
“I haven’t done sh*t in weeks,” Umina said. “I think it’s starting to become an issue.”
Even though many of us would not like to admit it, the world doesn’t stop when we all graduate. Therefore, in order to become productive members of society, students looking forward to graduation cannot stop now and need to shed their “senioritis” ways in order to transition smoothly into the next chapter of their life.
Although some students have completely accepted their “senioritis” diagnosis, others, like accounting graduate student Ethan Dabareiner, have attempted to fight this
impending sickness.
“I find when I experience ‘senioritis,’ I like to think about why I started. That motivates me to finish strong,” Dabareiner said.
The Naperville, Illinois, native went on to state that even when he does feel his motivation slipping, he reminds himself that he knows his courses will be essential for his future career, and so he battles on.
To combat this damaging trend among undergraduates, Johnson and Wales University has has posted several articles about the common collegiate occurrence and recommends multiple ways to combat the notorious
“senior sickness.”
Some of the strategies they linked to curing “senioritis” include prioritizing organization, setting smart goals, and utilizing school resources to curb
this behavior.
These small yet critical steps are essential when students are trying to gradually move on and begin life outside the classroom.
Furthermore, as the weather continues to get nicer, students will most likely begin to skip class more often in favor of fun activities in the sun.
As Daily Iowan reporter Reese Thompson pointed out in an article this past November, students are more likely to throw their responsibilities out the window once they see it’s going to be a sunny 75-degree day in Iowa City. But despite being a difficult task, going to class as we inch closer to finals is essential to help retain long-term information and end the year on a high note.
At the end of the day, though, I get it.
Being motivated and productive in the final stretch of the semester isn’t fun, but as the year comes to a close, I urge underclassmen and seniors alike to finish strong. Because otherwise, you might end up looking back on your last few weeks of college with disdain and embarrassment rather than joy and contentment.