Olivia Carofano, Editor-in-Chief
As a senior, the past few months have been a whirlwind of essays, recommendation letters and application deadlines. Now with submissions behind us, somewhat, it’s hard not to feel a mix of relief and uncertainty. The pressure has lifted, there’s no question about it, but how do we not sink into senioritis?
It’s very tempting to let our days become less productive, meaning, we binge watch shows, scroll doomlessly on our phones and do anything but schoolwork. But, I’ve realized that this post-application period is a chance to reset, not just check out. Personally, I’ve started carving out time to just relax, whether that be with friends or family or just alone.
For all of us seniors, the time we’ve dedicated during applications is never anything that is relaxing so now that it’s over, it’s important to just take the time we need to reset and ground ourselves before we receive an email telling us there is a status update on our application.
In addition to just relaxing, it’s always good to try and remain productive even if that be in the smallest of ways. Maybe it’s starting a list of all the things that need to be completed throughout your day or just starting an assignment that you know isn’t due until a little bit. My advice is to try and find a balance between taking a well-deserved break, keeping yourself engaged and aware of the work you need to do to stay on task.
I know for many of us, school has felt like a constant race. Every assignment, every club meeting, every test that seemed like a drag to study for is a step towards reaching success and achieving what we deem as perfect. But what I’ve realized while in the midst of submitting my applications, is to just focus on what makes you happy, what will make you satisfied with the work that you do. If we do this, all of the time we spend forcing ourselves to focus to get 1 assignment done will turn into an enjoyable period that is spent expanding your knowledge and meeting the goals that you set for yourself.
So, now that we have somewhat completed our first wave of applications, it’s ok to relish in that relief and just relax, but remember don’t just throw it all away because it seems like it’s over, don’t just give up because you think you’re finally done with the hard thing. Work through it and motivate yourself to work even harder than you did before to exceed your standards.
Personally, I’m learning that post application time doesn’t have to be a free-for-all. It can be a time to recharge, reflect and continue to build motivation to get through the rest of the year. Seniorists might be tempting to sink in but with a little drive, we can still achieve a balance of relaxation and productivity.
