Graduation is quickly approaching and the last few weeks will provide numerous challenges and diversions to one’s academic responsibilities. I
t is imperative that seniors do not let up and allow for senioritis to set in. The warmer weather and fact that school is almost over are great temptations to affect your performance, but don’t let that get in your way. Here are some tips to help you make it through the final few weeks.
* Start a countdown. Thoughts like there are only 19 more days to go or I only have 3 more weeks of school will make things more manageable.
* Don’t give into it. Do you really want your high school career to end on a negative note? You only have a few weeks left of your high school career and many years to enjoy being out of school (if you so choose.) Resist the temptation to slack off knowing that it’s almost over.
* Break things down into small chunks. If you are feeling overwhelmed with numerous tasks during the final few weeks, it may be helpful to look at things in smaller bits. Looking at one day or one subject at a time will reduce the stress associated with having too much to do.
* Complete the easy things first. While this won’t work for everyone, sometimes it helps to complete the smaller tasks first and leave the larger ones to later. The feeling of accomplishment as you finish more and more assignments will be a big boost to your level of energy and ability to overcome the stress.
* Keep a list. It may seem like a silly thing, but you will feel a sense of accomplishment when you are able to cross something off your list of things to do. As the list shortens, you won’t feel so overwhelmed about the tasks you face.
* Think positive thoughts. Also called self talk or self fulfilling prophecy, if you keep telling yourself that you will be fine and everything will work out, then it will most likely happen.
* Take time to have fun. Everyone talks about how fun one’s senior year should be, but often you can’t help but feel stressed out when planning for your future, keeping up your grades or thinking about moving into a college dorm. But what about time for some fun and relaxation? We all have ways to reduce our stress levels, whether it is reading, listening to music, playing a sport or shopping. Whatever the activity, remember that moderation is the key. Too much of any one thing is usually not a good idea.