The infamous “senior slide” has come faster than seniors had ever imagined. The fall is crunch time for seniors, as the process of applications, letters of recommendation and meetings with guidance counselors give way.
Although slacking off may seem like the best way to forget about the workload, it actually has the opposite effect. According to The New York Times, after students apply to their schools of choice, colleges will still check in on their transcripts to see if the student is still excelling, and performing in school up the the standards of the college they got accepted to.
“I think the main reason I’ve experienced the senior slide is that I’ve already been accepted into the colleges I’ve applied to, so now I feel like I have a bit more freedom to slack,” senior Hannah Gronberg said.
Colleges do, in fact, revoke acceptances from seniors who took the “senior slide” to an extreme level. According to the director of admissions Philip Ballinger, The University of Washington takes away a little over two dozen acceptances a year after looking over final senior transcripts.
According to U.S.News.com, this process of turning away accepted students is a notion of fairness, as they offer the enrollment position to a student who pushed through the final months of senior year, and was on the waiting list. These students prove that they are worthy of enrollment at their school of choice, as they worked hard to achieve their goals.
“I also feel like I’m ready to move on from high school so being anxious to get to college makes me less focused on my classes compared to past years,” Gronberg said.
As OHS seniors have experienced it, the “senior slide” continues to be prevalent, even in the first few months of senior year. Students often think that once they get into college, all the hard work is over.
“I usually just want to do anything other than homework, like watching Netflix or go for a run,” senior Amy Erickson said.
Staying focused and turning homework in on time seems to be the struggle. If senior year were to be viewed as a regular school year, not an “easy” year, the drive to complete assignments on time will not be easily lost as it is now.
According to Debra Nussbaum of The New York Times, a way to get rid of the “senior slide” completely is to take less Advanced Placement classes, and more engaging electives. Senior year should be more fun and enjoyable, not as hard as the previous years.
When grades start tumbling down that slippery slope, it is hard to climb one’s grades and motivation back up.
“I just don’t study for tests or do homework as much as I did, unless it’s for summative points,” senior Madeline Carlson said.
When spending too much time distracting one’s self by Netflix marathons, social media, or procrastination is a priority versus focusing in class and completing work, it may be more beneficial to buckle down, and dedicate more time to school work. Finish the year strong, and initiate the college experience in a positive manner, knowing hard work essentially paid off.
“It isn’t a good thing to do, but I’m pretty guilty of it. I procrastinate much more this year and I’m not as organized as I was in the past,” Gronberg said.