All the sudden, starting homework becomes a struggle and sleep schedules are skewed. The motivated student you knew yourself to be, is now sat in front of a screen binge watching netflix. Senioritis. A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of sweatpants, wrinkled flannels, and baseball caps to mask slept in hair. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as graduation.

Senioritis is definitely real, but why? The common excuses, “I’m burnt out” or  “I’m ready for college.” Truly, this is just an excuse for laziness. Here are five helpful tips on how to overcome senioritis.

1. Think beyond graduation

Most people will say their only motivation to not fail their classes is because they want to graduate. Doing the bare minimum to pass classes becomes more common than going above standard. This isn’t a healthy mindset to keep after graduation. Isaiah Mitzelfeldt (12) said “just remember after you graduate, life gets ten times harder. If you’re getting lazy now, you’ll have a real wake up call when reality hits you.” Remember, the skills you obtain and choose to carry through high school will transfer to your work ethic later in life, so keep it up!

2. Become excited for school again by trying new things

Getting stuck in a rut is pretty common when you’re doing the same old thing everyday. Change up your routine! Mikayla Beckley (12) suggests to “join new clubs and go to all the sporting events. Do all the things you won’t have the chance to do after you graduate.”

3. Reward yourself, but not with laziness

After four years of working hard (or hardly working) we tell ourselves it’s okay to be lazy. Here’s what Mikayla Beckley (12) has to say about this. Instead, “give yourself rewards for finishing your homework. Put snacks on different paragraphs in your textbook, so when you reach that section you can munch on your yummy snack and study at the same time!”

4. Change your mindset

For Carter Mooring (12), senioritis is not a real thing. Mooring believes that “it’s fine for people to want to move on and leave high school to the next part of their life, but whether you finish strong is up to you, not up to senioritis.” It’s easy to fall into bad work habits because everyone else around you is too. Be the person to encourage yourself and others to finish strong!

5. Remember what you’re leaving behind

You don’t want to be the person to leave your high school behind with a bad attitude. Mr. Ballew simply said to “give back. Everyone spends all their time taking and taking. No one ever gives back.” Take time to thank teachers and administration who have helped transform you into who you are today!