Senioritis.The dreaded “disease” we have heard about from so many seniors before us.  Defined as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance”, senioritis is real. As I go from class to class I hear my fellow classmates struggling to press on. Most of us say we have the urge to quit school and just give up, but I’m here to tell you not to do that. I’m here to tell you to fight senioritis. Senior year does matter, do not give up on your last year.

One of the most obvious, but most important tips to not failing your senior year is actually showing up to school. This may seem like a simple task, but for some it is quite the opposite. Missing school means missing valuable information and missing valuable information means not doing so hot on your next test. Not to mention, collecting a slew of absences can pose more problems than just missing material. Due to the school’s absence policy missing more than 5 days a quarter can cause you to lose credit for classes if those absences are not made up. So, show up to school so you do not have to spend your last year of high school worrying about silly things like absences.

Many of us, throughout our 13 plus years of schooling, have learned to master the art of procrastination. You know how it is, doing three weeks of math homework hours before it’s due because the teacher doesn’t check it daily, or studying in the hour before that big test you’ve know about for weeks. Procrastination is not your friend. It creates so much unnecessary stress and makes you feel like all of this work is way too much, when in reality if you would have just done a little bit every night it wouldn’t have felt like this. Fighting procrastination is not an easy task, but it can be done. Make yourself a little schedule that works for you every night. Force yourself to do what you can of your homework as soon as you get home from school, or from work, before you move on to anything else. Also, try and study a little bit each night for an upcoming test. These small tips could make your life so much easier.

Understanding material is inevitably a very important part of school, so not grasping the concepts taught in class can become a huge issue. Do not struggle silently. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class, because I can almost guarantee a lot of kids have the same ones. If you still aren’t understanding, it might be a very good idea to ask your teacher to stay after school to help you. If you don’t feel comfortable asking your teacher, try getting a couple of friends together in a study group. There are always options when trying to get help for something you don’t completely comprehend.

Finally, having a good attitude and mentality about school can make all the difference. Colleges may look at your grades your senior year and possibly revoke your acceptance if there has been a significant drop. Continuing to try your best and work hard is very important and can help to make your year better as well as easier.

Senior year is supposed to be a fun and exciting time for us. Keeping your grades up and attending school as often as possible should help to make it less stressful. The less stress you have the easier it may be to enjoy all of the amazing parts senior year has to offer.