Junioritis:  “A tendency of juniors in high school to slack off as if they were seniors with senioritis.” (Wiktionary.com)

We are so close to being done with high school yet so far. Freshman year everything was new and exciting, and as sophomores, we were finally getting into the groove of things and trying to figure out how to have balance in life. Junior year is when we all seem to run out of steam. We are expected to act like adults and really start to crack down on school. After trying to maintain a packed schedule for a few months, most juniors will start to show signs of “junioritis”. Sleeping more, caring less about how we present ourselves, lack of motivation, the urge to check social media constantly, and an increased appetite are all incredibly common symptoms of junioritis. We stop caring about things that were once important ( how we dress, going out, etc.)  and instead focus most of our energy on just trying to graduate.

Not only is there the pressure to graduate, but this is also the time where we have to set up our whole future. To go to college or to not go to college? How do I choose a college? How do I just decide what I want to do with the rest of my life at sixteen-seventeen  years old? The real answer is that we don’t know what we want to do, and the idea of possibly choosing the wrong path is terrifying. My best advice is to go online and take a whole bunch of quizzes about future career paths and take the top few most common. You could also look into taking the ASVAB. Then I like to put my preferences into the “Niche” website and just start the search. “Niche” is my favorite website to use to look for colleges because you can see statistics and comments from real students. When you get to the point where you’re ready to tour some colleges, make sure you talk to the attendance office about your trip, so you can get the absence excused!

The best way to beat junioritis is to stay organized and try to have fun during this stressful time. Hang out with your friends and have a few laughs; it’s good for you! Use this time to grow and learn from the comfort of your own home. This is one of the years where you can really start to find yourself. Spend some time alone, do your favorite things, and try to reflect as much as possible. If you take the time to get to know yourself better, then you can beat junior year.

Sources:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/junioritis

http://fairfieldmirror.com/opinion/junioritis-yes-real-thing/

https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/entertainment/local/2016/05/06/yes-junioritis-is-real-thing/18165768007/