On Campus

Senioritis: Last chance syndrome

With six months left at university, even trivial things now seem to have a much greater significance.

In the spring of my final year of high school I got a little bit stir crazy. I could not wait to move on to bigger and better things. My last fall semester as an undergrad is half over, and I am starting to feel a grasping at straws hysteria. It is a nostalgic longing for the fleeting best days of my life. If I had the chance to go back to freshman year and do it over again, I would do it in a heartbeat. And I would gladly repeat these past years at university many times over, because it does not get much better than this.

When I was a freshman, I measured my first year at Carleton University in all my different firsts. I remember my first lecture, the first time checking out a book from the library, handing in my first essay, writing my first exam in a cold gym and as nerdy as it sounds, it was always exciting for me to cross my next post-secondary hurdle.

I realized something a few weeks ago while I was packing for Thanksgiving. Sadly, as a graduating student in my fourth year, my outlook has changed. I no longer see things as brand new and exciting; instead I’m looking at every milestone as a last. That was my last Thanksgiving long weekend as a university student; my last Halloween at Carleton, and that midterm on Tuesday was last test I have to write for the fall semester.

I know how gloomy this all sounds. I’m trying to stay away from the 2012/end of the world fear mongering, but my clock is ticking. The cure for Senioritis is not to slack off! You have to keep pushing forward. When you only have six months left of university life, you have to make every second count.

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.