Most of us are pretty much committed to our post-graduation plans and are having a hard time paying any attention to high school. I have been experiencing a ridiculous amount of burnout without actually putting much effort into anything school-related. Coming into senior year I thought senioritis wouldn’t be too bad, something I lived with through all the years of my high school. I could not have been more wrong.
While I had a better state of mind and focus for school during the first semester of senior year (primarily because I didn’t get into a college yet). I tried to keep my grades and effort into any extracurriculars at a decent level. After I got rejected from a school I would have wanted to go to, I became slightly disheartened and a little more focused starting the second semester. It’s a Friday, and I’m sitting down in my math class waiting for the bell to hit 3:10. I get a notification that there has been an update in my student portal for a school that was high up on my list. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t think. I waited to get home and then opened it, and I was in!
Over the next couple of days, I realized that my grades weren’t the most important anymore (unless it was a huge drop). I began doing the bare minimum for all my classes, barely studying, if at all, for some of my tests. Especially after spring break, I was pretty much checked out of my classes. I went out with my friends quite often and skipped a lot of homework, math especially. Despite all of us feeling this way, it would be worthwhile to keep up with school for a little longer. Here are some tips that would be beneficial given that we are now (or soon will be) adults.
Keeping up with previous extracurriculars can sometimes be a pain. I rarely show up to my scholastic bowl practices every week. It is worthwhile to continue some of those extracurriculars especially if they help maintain discipline or align with a passion. I continue to take part in a non-profit I am involved with mainly because I love the work we do (refurbishing and donating laptops and such to underfunded institutions), so I continue to show up and be involved.
AP Exams! These are generally the most painful for me; it’s the end of the year and these exams always carry weight. While these exams may not matter on a transcript, college credit can prove to be extremely beneficial, saving a bunch of money and time in college. I haven’t started studying for my exams yet, but writing this blog reminded me to get started as soon as possible.
Investing! One of the biggest perks, and responsibilities, is investing smartly. Investing early provides the opportunity to take on more risk, generally providing higher returns in the long run. The key word is Long-run. In my opinion, opening up a Roth IRA should be number one on the list. Roth IRAs are essentially a retirement account that grows your money in a tax-free manner (when cashed out past a certain age). In that ETFs are always a good bet, especially in achieving long-term wealth/goals. I mostly look at tech-based ETFs like VOO, but always research before investing.
It can be easy to become disorganized, especially in school. It is well worth it to continue building on good habits, like staying organized, that will carry on into college and well into your career. I find having a clean room to be the best first step to being organized and being in a better mind space to work. I usually set reminders on my phone or keep a physical notepad to track my assignments and their due dates. As of recently, I haven’t kept that notepad updated, which led to some late assignments and procrastinating much more than usual. As I’ve been getting back to using it, I have seen some improvements in my organization.
Something often overlooked is spending time with family. My college is a plane ride away from home so I won’t be visiting as often as I’d like to. Visiting only during lengthier breaks like Spring, Summer, and Winter. Many of us are in the same situation, so it is important to remember to spend time with family any chance we get.
It sounds like you’re going through a lot of changes and feelings as you navigate through your senior year of high school. The shift in focus from grades to post-graduation plans can definitely feel overwhelming, leading to burnout and a lack of motivation for schoolwork. Your experience highlights the challenge of balancing senioritis with the importance of finishing strong. While it’s tempting to coast through classes once acceptance letters start rolling in, maintaining some level of effort can still be beneficial, both academically and personally. Your tips for managing this transition are practical and insightful. Continuing with extracurricular activities that you’re passionate about can provide a sense of purpose and discipline, while preparing for AP exams can save time and money in the long run. Investing early and wisely is indeed a smart move, and cultivating good habits like organization will serve you well beyond high school. And amidst all the excitement about the future, don’t forget to cherish time with family—they’ll be your anchor as you embark on this new chapter of your life.
Hi Adi, I enjoyed reading your post because I feel the same way. I thought that I wouldn’t feel senioritis because I would have just been continuing what I did in the last four years in the last semester. However, I’m also feeling a lot of burnout and sometimes go home and feel like taking a huge nap. I think that I also felt burnout in the previous years, but the pressure to get good grades back then kind of pushed me to finish strong, but now I think that I don’t have that pressure now and have started to slip. But, I agree with you in that we can use the time that we don’t spend on school doing other things. I’m trying to finish up my Eagle Scout project and pass my AP Physics exams. Hopefully, we can all cross the finish line strong and make the most of our little time at school.