“Senioritis” is a disease of laziness, hopelessness, stress and a serious lack of motivation. You see, I was under the impression that it only affected high school seniors but, clearly, I was wrong. 

I am finishing my final year as an undergraduate, and “senioritis” is a very real issue that I have been dealing with since we returned from spring break– and I really hope that I’m not the only one.

At this point in the semester, it seems as though assignments are never getting more than 25% effort from me, and they’re always done an hour or two before the infamous 11:59 p.m. deadline.  

On top of that, attending classes seems to be a chore nowadays. There is this constant feeling of exhaustion and, no matter how many times the snooze button is pressed, there is simply not enough time to rest. A class could be at 2 p.m. and I would still not be fully rested. 

I think it is important, however, to recognize that we as seniors are entering the real world in approximately 40 days. This fact could be the root of my senioritis for two reasons.

The first reason is that seniors are job hunting and in the interview process and, hopefully, it has paid off with a company’s full-time offer. This is where I stand. My senioritis is based on the mindset that I already have a job, so why would I keep putting so much effort into the classes that have already helped to land me a job? 

At this point, I think I could afford to skip a couple of classes here and there and still graduate with C’s and an average GPA. 

The second reason is that some seniors are simply not ready for what is to come after graduation. We have to now worry about health insurance, rent, phone bills and, ultimately, what to eat for dinner. The stress of post-graduation is only adding to the stress of academics, thus senioritis is really starting to hit many of us. 

Plus, I don’t believe that any senior truly wants to leave the place that they have called home for the last couple of years. It’s a huge transition. 

No matter which reason has been the root of your senioritis, it is important to remember that we only have five weeks left of college. We will never experience anything like the last few years as undergraduates again. 

I will never again experience living with my closest friends, grabbing a bite to eat at Holly Pointe, taking a stroll to the engineering ponds or using Boro Bucks for my late-night, sweet tooth cravings at Cookie Munchers once I leave. 

And if that is not enough of a reason to push through your senioritis and make the last five weeks memorable, then senioritis has gotten the best of you.

It is not too late to find the smallest bit of hope and finish this year on a strong– or at least content– note. Take advantage of your last few weeks and make this time count, because life is about to begin.

I wish the best of luck to my fellow seniors and other Rowan students. I hope we all look back on right now and are able to say that we did our best during the last couple of months as college students, despite the fatigue and stress of it all.

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