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Well, well. The time which I never thought would come is actually upon me: my last semester of undergraduate study is in full swing. After speaking with a lot of other students in my position, I've decided to say a few words on an affliction which is clearly affecting many of us heavily: senioritis. This disease is tricky. It will sneak up on even the most hardcore of studiers before he or she knows what hit her or him. In an effort to help you diagnose yourself--or someone you love--I'll list a few of the more common symptoms below, using myself as an example (who else am I going to use...?)
Symptom 1: Drastic change of scholastic habits.
Example: For years, I used to come home from hours of lecture and re-write every word of notes from that day, heavily accompanying my notes with outside references and clarifying supplements, etc...(I know, I know, you're thinking, "What a nerd"...well, be that as it may, this was a habit which contributed largely to my very nice GPA. So, admitted nerdhood aside, it worked for me. And, I recommend this practice to those of you who are not currently suffering from this affliction, but I'll get back to the point.) I find myself this semester, however, unexpectedly throwing my notes at my desk and not even looking at them until I absolutely must. By this time, of course, they've become a jumbled mess of shuffled dates and incomprehensible chicken scratch. Oh, well...I've only got to pass…which brings me to the second symptom.
Symptom 2: Extreme relaxation of academic expectations.
Example: Anyone who knows me would describe me to you as a ridiculous perfectionist when it comes to school. My papers must be done early, sometimes months ahead of time, tests must be studied for weeks in advance; 'B's' were a result of Satan himself. These days, however, I find myself stating more and more frequently, "Well, I've been accepted to medical school, all I have to do now is pass." Just pass? The me from a year ago would faint. The me from today, however, just wants to take a nap. Ahhhh...the third symptom.
Symptom 3: Complete exhaustion.
I don't know if this happens as a result of the disease or if three and a half years of unyielding overachieving finally take their toll, but (whatever the reason) sufferers of senioritis can expect to be totally worn out. Example: In all the years past, I would stay awake for literally two or three days at a time. Knowing that there were things that had to be done, my academic adrenaline would kick in and keep me wide awake for days. These days, I'm not feeling that adrenaline. I don't know, perhaps it's a side effect of my anticipation of the rigors of medical school...a desire to enjoy these "simple" (simple?!?) days while I have them. Whatever the cause, I'm scraping the bottom of the willpower barrel every time I pull myself away from what I actually want to do and work.
Symptom 4: Competitive edge hiatus.
You've probably got it in you as much as I've got it in me: the overwhelming drive to be the absolute best at everything we do. That's what pushes us to do the things we've done. This drive slows during a bought with senioritis. Example: I was once so upset that someone tied me for the top Organic Chemistry test score that I actually shook. These days, I am satisfied doing well...without the nagging perfectionist requirement of being the best (see Symptom 2 for more details).
Well, these are a few of the symptoms of senioritis. If you find yourself suffering from this disease, you are not alone. After realizing there is no cure (except graduation!), I've come up with an idea about how to handle this: just go with it. See, I've been really uptight lately, worried about what's wrong with me...why I don't feel like I used to regarding school and being academically perfect and all that jazz. Here's the thing (and I know many of you find yourselves in the same boat): I've been accepted to medical school. You've been accepted to medical school, or law school, or graduate school, or some other college of your choice. I think that we deserve a little respite from our own expectations. So, I think we can afford to close the books for a few hours a week. It's OK to loose a day or two, take the phone off the hook, turn off the PDA...you get the idea. Let's enjoy this period between when we receive our acceptances and when we start the next phase of our lives.
We'll never get this time back again--and in a few months, that perfectionist, type-A, super-achieving student will have to awaken within us again and give us the edge we need to become the professionals we're meant to be. So let's take a deep breath today, while we still can.
I loved this article.
Symptom 1: Drastic change of scholastic habits.
Example: For years, I used to come home from hours of lecture and re-write every word of notes from that day, heavily accompanying my notes with outside references and clarifying supplements, etc...(I know, I know, you're thinking, "What a nerd"...well, be that as it may, this was a habit which contributed largely to my very nice GPA. So, admitted nerdhood aside, it worked for me. And, I recommend this practice to those of you who are not currently suffering from this affliction, but I'll get back to the point.) I find myself this semester, however, unexpectedly throwing my notes at my desk and not even looking at them until I absolutely must. By this time, of course, they've become a jumbled mess of shuffled dates and incomprehensible chicken scratch. Oh, well...I've only got to pass…which brings me to the second symptom.
Symptom 2: Extreme relaxation of academic expectations.
Example: Anyone who knows me would describe me to you as a ridiculous perfectionist when it comes to school. My papers must be done early, sometimes months ahead of time, tests must be studied for weeks in advance; 'B's' were a result of Satan himself. These days, however, I find myself stating more and more frequently, "Well, I've been accepted to medical school, all I have to do now is pass." Just pass? The me from a year ago would faint. The me from today, however, just wants to take a nap. Ahhhh...the third symptom.
Symptom 3: Complete exhaustion.
I don't know if this happens as a result of the disease or if three and a half years of unyielding overachieving finally take their toll, but (whatever the reason) sufferers of senioritis can expect to be totally worn out. Example: In all the years past, I would stay awake for literally two or three days at a time. Knowing that there were things that had to be done, my academic adrenaline would kick in and keep me wide awake for days. These days, I'm not feeling that adrenaline. I don't know, perhaps it's a side effect of my anticipation of the rigors of medical school...a desire to enjoy these "simple" (simple?!?) days while I have them. Whatever the cause, I'm scraping the bottom of the willpower barrel every time I pull myself away from what I actually want to do and work.
Symptom 4: Competitive edge hiatus.
You've probably got it in you as much as I've got it in me: the overwhelming drive to be the absolute best at everything we do. That's what pushes us to do the things we've done. This drive slows during a bought with senioritis. Example: I was once so upset that someone tied me for the top Organic Chemistry test score that I actually shook. These days, I am satisfied doing well...without the nagging perfectionist requirement of being the best (see Symptom 2 for more details).
Well, these are a few of the symptoms of senioritis. If you find yourself suffering from this disease, you are not alone. After realizing there is no cure (except graduation!), I've come up with an idea about how to handle this: just go with it. See, I've been really uptight lately, worried about what's wrong with me...why I don't feel like I used to regarding school and being academically perfect and all that jazz. Here's the thing (and I know many of you find yourselves in the same boat): I've been accepted to medical school. You've been accepted to medical school, or law school, or graduate school, or some other college of your choice. I think that we deserve a little respite from our own expectations. So, I think we can afford to close the books for a few hours a week. It's OK to loose a day or two, take the phone off the hook, turn off the PDA...you get the idea. Let's enjoy this period between when we receive our acceptances and when we start the next phase of our lives.
We'll never get this time back again--and in a few months, that perfectionist, type-A, super-achieving student will have to awaken within us again and give us the edge we need to become the professionals we're meant to be. So let's take a deep breath today, while we still can.
I loved this article.
