With each passing day, I can feel a tangible exponential decrease in my general life-functioning.

 

Every morning, I sleep past all five (or more) of my alarms before waking up (at 7:15) to a slight panic over having only five minutes to get ready, and an increasingly overwhelming temptation to skip Anatomy (aka the Worst Class to have first period). And despite dreading this daily morning struggle against my heavy, sleep deprived eyelids and the lure of my bed, I still cannot ever seem to make myself sleep before 1 am.

 

It’s not the homework, or the studying. In fact, compared to last semester (yikes), I hardly have very much work at all. 

 

I simply have no motivation at all to do anything before 12:30 am. 

 

At first, I didn’t know what was wrong with me. In previous semesters, I’d always had some sort of desire to keep my life together. I could always rely on my intense fear of shame and failure sense of responsibility to keep me at least somewhat productive. 

 

But no longer.

 

My work ethic has gone into the negatives. My soul is void of motivation. My brain no longer has the capacity to study for longer than 30 minutes. My body is numb to stress (because I just can’t care enough anymore). 

 

Why?

 

Senioritis. 

 

What I’d thought was only a senior joke has become a real, debilitating reality for me. Only 3 weeks into the semester, and I am already succumbing to its effects. Scholarship essays go unwritten. Piano goes unpracticed. Homework goes undone. 

 

So, to feel validated in my laziness, (and also to find advice on alleviating it), I decided to consult professional opinion on this disease. According to the Southern New Hampshire University’s article “What is Senioritis and is There a Cure?” by Ashley Wallis, SNHU academic advisor Abby Tincher says “senioritis is a real thing people experience” and she would describe the phenomenon as “seeing the finish line and realizing you don’t necessarily have to work as hard anymore to reach it.” 

 

Hillary Smith, another academic advisor, lists the symptoms as “a drop in grades, not completing assignments, procrastination and loss of interest in studies.” and warns that “you might even start skipping class or turning in work that is subpar.”

 

To help all those suffering from these symptoms (including myself), the article provides several tips to overcome the struggle, such as:

 

 

• “Set goals to get you motivated.”

 

“You can change your goals along the way, but make sure to have at least one so you have something to aim for,” Tincher says. 

 

One of my goals was to finish homework quickly and sleep before 1 am every day. It is currently 2:14 am. 

But isn’t this tip somewhat counter-intuitive in nature? Motivation is needed to aim for the goal in the first place. If there is no motivation to aim, will aiming create motivation?? 🤔🤔🤔

 

 

• “Start thinking about your future”

 

Smith prompts students to “[get] excited about your opportunities post-graduation and use that to fuel your motivation through your final term or semester.” 

 

While this is, theoretically, fairly sound advice, this method has not yet been effective for me. Thinking of university often fills me with anxiety over the thought of expenses and being social and continuing to study for another 10 years (😔), making me even less inclined to pick up the pace now and get through the semester. And when I do happen to become excited for post-graduate life, this excitement translates into an even greater desire to fast forward through these last few months and skip all the work that comes with, defeating the point of the tip. 

 

 

• “Surround yourself with support”

 

“Surround [yourselves] with people who are positive and are there to motivate, not distract,” says Smith. 

 

This one is somewhat difficult for me. First of all, I don’t talk to many people (oops). But the ones I do talk to seem to be equally as afflicted by senioritis as myself. And when I do happen to encounter the rare senior who has continued striving for good grades, all I can muster is a vague sense of incredulity, and also a twinge of jealousy at their willpower.

 

But no motivation in sight, yet!

 

 

• “Take a break”

 

As wisely put by Tincher, “[you] do actually need breaks and your mind or body crashing is a sign that you may be overdoing it.”

 

I do, indeed, agree that breaks are very important, especially when I’m stressed or overworked. But with senioritis, I am neither stressed, nor overworked, but simply sloth-like. I take (unplanned) breaks quite frequently now, but they only perpetuate my sluggish tendencies. If I cannot do the work in the first place, do I still need a break from it? 

 

 

• “Reward yourself”

 

“Create a reward system if you find you are motivated by certain outcomes,” suggests Tichner.

 

This particular tip is one I have been following closely. In fact, I am employing an organized reward system at this very moment; for every 1 ½ sentences I write, I allow myself to consume at least 22 chocolate chips as compensation. 

 

(Perhaps this trick would work for a self-disciplined person. I am not that person).

 

 

Alas, while I have achieved a slight sense of validation in being lazy (after all, a professional confirmed that senioritis is a /real/ phenomenon!), these tips have not sparked motivation in me, and my senioritis remains as severe as ever. It is now 2:30, and I am, again, considering skipping Anatomy tomorrow. 

 

But at least I still had enough determination left to write this blog, right?