Fighting Senioritis: Don’t Let Post-Acceptance Grades Slip

Senior year is a wonderful time in one’s high school career. It can feel like a huge weight is off your shoulders. And it is a well-deserved feeling! But often times, students enter into their winter term with less inspiration than the fall. This is because colleges and universities begin sending out decision letters, and students take those decisions as a ticket into the future. Acceptance into college should be celebrated because it is a great achievement. However, an acceptance is never set in stone. It can be taken away just as easily as it was given. This is a reminder to all senior students that grades do matter, up until the very last day of school.

Senioritis:

Senioritis is a change in behavior by high school students. The change generally takes place in the second semester of one’s senior year, and it involves a lack of motivation. Senioritis has been known to affect academic performance. Students tend to feel burnt out from their first three years and give up toward the end. The result senioritis, however, can be disastrous. Students that let their grades slip too far risk having their acceptances taken away.

Consequences:

When grades take a nosedive during second semester, there can be unfortunate consequences. Aside from rescinding an acceptance, colleges can adjust financial aid packages to reflect the lack of motivation. Admissions officers have also been known to approach students who show signs of senioritis and ask for an explanation regarding poor grades. What’s most troubling is the time frame in which students will receive news of their revoked acceptance. Final grades are not reviewed by colleges until the summer, which means a student might not receive the unfortunate news until July or August. By that time, it would be too late to get into another school, as slots will have filled up.

Avoid Falling Behind:

There are ways to avoid the dangerous effects of senioritis. The best way to stay on top of the game is to get involved. Second-semester seniors should develop a set of academic and personal goals. Establishing objectives keeps students actively engaged and develops a mentality of working toward something. This attitude will be incredibly helpful when it comes time for students to graduate and start their college career.

Preparation Today, Success Tomorrow:

One of the most important things to remember is that a lack of motivation during senior year can hurt students in college. Students that lose motivation can easily develop lazy academic habits. This can be disastrous when the student starts their first year of college. Academic standards at the collegiate level are usually much higher than what they were in high school. Therefore, students that have been slacking are more likely to struggle with their new academic demands.