Excalibur Editorial Board
Featured image courtesy of Pixabay
PRIORITIZING
Matt Dionne | Editor-in-Chief
One of the biggest inaccuracies when it comes to post-secondary education is the notion that you have to attend every class. For some, this could be true, but for many, it’s not necessary. Many professors prepare their lectures using some form of media (often PowerPoint), and then read off the slides without adding any new thoughts or descriptions to the material. These classes are usually long (three to four hours), and take up time that could be used more effectively—such as working at a part-time job. It’s important for students to determine which classes they should attend, and which they can skip to use the time they save more productively.
PACE YOURSELF
Mahdis Habibinia | Executive Editor, Online
Behind every senior’s fatigue, and fragility, is the desperate attempt to finish this final lap of undergrad, graduate, and escape the stresses of university. With graduation approaching in a couple of months, there is also the added pressure of figuring out your plans and applications for convocation, as well as life post-graduation. Many students tend to plan, and build anticipation, over how much they need to do for the next several months while completely overlooking a simple way to tackle the million-and-one things on their to-do list: just get through this week first. Pace yourself. As students, we tend to worry about an assignment due tomorrow, while simultaneously worrying about another one due in three weeks and another about a month later. To combat Senioritis, tackle each assignment, deadline, and application, as it approaches. Prioritize your to-do list in such a way as to not put yourself through that anxiety twice.
ENJOY YOURSELF
Victoria Silman | News Editor
The last year can be difficult. For most of us, it’s year five; we’ve been through at least two strikes, and our morale is so far down, it’s basically in hell. The only way to get through it is to make time for yourself. Work hard when you need to, but don’t forget to play hard. Take a bit of time off to travel, enjoy a dinner out, have a movie night with your loved ones, or just take an evening to unwind on your own. It’s your last year, and it shouldn’t be stressful—it should be the most memorable.
TAKE INITIATIVE
Shahroze Rauf | Assistant News Editor
Finding a job in the field that you want to go in is probably the best way to keep yourself busy and active in your final years. I’ve taken it a step further by working with multiple content creation platforms, including Excalibur, while completing a college diploma alongside my university degree in the field I want to go into. So, keeping yourself busy and really taking the initiative to get a refreshing perspective on your academic path definitely wakes you up. Not to mention, you have the opportunity to connect with a new network of people. Stuff like this makes you a formidable candidate when you desperately go job hunting after you graduate—especially now, without the grace period.
REMEMBER, IT’S OKAY TO SAY ‘NO’
Miriam El Abbassi | Arts Editor
Whether you’re a student, or otherwise, it is safe to say that most people have problems with saying ‘no.’ With a revolving door of assignments, tests, and papers, saying ‘yes’ to a couple of smaller tasks may not seem like much in that moment, but it can easily turn into a crushing mountain of stress you can’t crawl out of. It is important to understand that being a student, on its own, requires commitment and attention. So spreading yourself too thin by saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity, or request that comes your way, is a surefire way to quickly crash and burn. Setting the proper boundaries, and reminding yourself that it’s okay to say ‘no’ once in a while will ensure that you don’t become overwhelmed.
PLAN A TRIP
Fatema Ali | Multimedia Editor
Being in the final semester of your final year is exciting and daunting. You are finishing a chapter of your life, while also preparing to start a new one. During your last year, you are finishing classes and applying to professional and graduate schools. However, after multiple years of schooling, you sometimes lose motivation during the last couple of months. I personally have tried to manage my time by creating study schedules. Also, to combat this lack of motivation, I am planning a trip for the end of April. Having something to look forward to will hopefully cure my Senioritis.
GET IN, GET OUT
Dylan Stoll | Copy Editor
Having taken my course load part-time, I can say with extreme frustration that my never-ending educational experience has been a burden on my psyche, to say the least. I’ve been through two agonizing strikes, I’ve seen fellow students come and go, I’ve watched cracks and holes form as time and negligence degrade our campus, but nothing has been more difficult to get through than the result of my aging, overworked brain: Senioritis. My recommendation for this inevitable affliction is I have no recommendation. Get your work done fast, and get out while you can.
DON’T PROCRASTINATE
Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
As tempting as it may be to stop caring, don’t. The worst thing a person can do to prolong their stress is procrastinating their responsibilities. When the finish line is in sight, it’s easy to start slowing down and become sloppy. Missing a deadline or two when you know your academic career is coming to an end may not seem like a big deal, but if you’ve worked hard to get to where you are, don’t become lazy and throw it all away. Strive to maintain the work ethic you’ve had. Find that last burst of energy stuffed between the long nights and caffeine-induced papers, and use it to finish off your academic career on a high. You never want to look back on any decision regretfully. Aim to never find yourself saying: “I wish I could have done better.”
REMIND YOURSELF OF THE ‘WHY’
Jasmine Wiradharma | Comics Editor
Motivation is awful and fickle at times—whenever I feel it slipping, I find a good way to coax it back into action is to remember why I’m doing something. The last stretch of courses can feel dreadful if you’re going through the motions—you tend to forget why you’re here. Of course, this can be difficult if you aren’t entirely sure of what you want to do after graduation. It’s okay, if that’s the case for you—set your ‘why’ to be something tangible, even if it is as simple as: “I’m finishing my degree because when it is complete, I will have the option of acquiring a job where I can better support my hobbies.”
THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENT LOANS
Uzodinma Ukagwu | Sports Editor
It’s been almost 10 years now since I first became a university student in my native country of Nigeria, so I have an advanced case of Senioritis. However, you gotta do what you gotta do, and thankfully the end is finally in sight. Personally, when I start to feel lazy all I have to do is think about my school fees and large pile of student loans, and then I get to work. I have persevered for all these years and it would be stupid to drop the ball now.
