Surviving the Last Weeks of School: A Guide for Seniors

Tips from a Fullerton Private Tutor: Surviving the Last Weeks of School

As the last week of the school year approaches, many seniors are tempted to find things to do other than attending class and complete assignments. This is called senioritis, and it has been an issue for generations. Once a student has completed their AP exams and taken their finals, there isn’t much left that will happen in the classroom. However, it’s important for seniors to get through the last days of high school and make sure that they don’t face any surprises over the summer. The most important thing is for students to finish the year strong and maintain their acceptance at college.

1. Double check grades

The first thing seniors should do is double check their grades. To graduate, they will need to have a passing grade in every subject. Some colleges and universities will also require that students maintain the GPA that they had when they first applied; this means they may need to maintain a B or even an A average. Sometimes students will forget about that incomplete assignment from a few weeks ago or that extra credit assignment they were meant to complete. Once the year is over there will not be an opportunity to make any changes, so time is of the essence. It’s important to avoid low grades at the last minute as well as summer school because this will prevent students from officially graduating and starting college in the fall (READ: 5 Things Every Rising Senior Should do).

2. Apply to graduate

Many schools require students to apply for graduation. Most of the time this just means filling out some paperwork, but it’s important that students get this in on time if it’s required. This is also a great way for students to see if anything is missing on their transcripts or if any clerical errors have occurred. If a student notices that they have the missing paperwork they will still have plenty of time to get everything corrected so they can graduate on time and avoid summer school.

3. Focus on extracurricular activity

Once AP exams and finals are complete there is little motivation to focus on academics. To stay interested in school students are encouraged to focus on an extracurricular activity they enjoy. If they play on the school sports team, there may still be a final game or team meeting. Students who belong to an academic or art club may be able to plan a fun activity for themselves and the younger members of the club. It’s not important what the activity is but that it helps seniors maintain their interest in attending school.

4. Balance free time and academics

It’s also important for seniors to balance their free time and school work. Many students were not able to socialize much at all while they were studying for finals or AP exams so it may be tempting to socialize all of the time now that those tasks are complete. It’s a good idea for students to plan a schedule for the week in advance. For example, perhaps they continue to work on school assignments from Monday to Thursday but enjoy some social time on Fridays and Saturdays (READ: 3 Warning Signs of Senioritis).

5. Maintain attendance

The number one issue with senioritis is a failure to show up at school. Unfortunately, most schools are stricter than they used to be when it comes to attendance. Too many unexcused absences can look bad on a student’s attendance record. As long as seniors show up to school, they are more likely to complete assignments and be involved in any extracurricular or sports activities that occur at the end of the year.

End the year strong with the help of a private Fullerton tutor. Call us today for more information.

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