7 Tips to Help Your High Schooler Remain Motivated Throughout Senior Year

By Kelsea.parentherald , Parent Herald Oct 21, 08:50 pm

Often perceived as a benign and expected phenomenon in the last year of high school, "senioritis " is actually laced with many misconceptions regarding its impact - since it can have long-term consequences that may impact your child's futuoler Remain Motivated Throughout Seniore. The good news is that there are specific things you can do to support your child to make sure they don't fall "victim" to senioritis and instead make the most of their senior year in every way. Here, we'll take a closer look at what senioritis is, why it matters, and seven tips for helping your high schooler stay motivated throughout senior year.

Why Senioritis Matters

Senioritis can have a number of negative effects which may have an immediate impact and influence a student's future.

As Lisa Suzuki,associate professor of applied psychology and Counseling@NYUprogram director at NYU Steinhardt notes,"School counselors are intimately aware of the causes, symptoms, and potential negative consequences of senioritis. It is critical that students continue to stay engaged in school to learn critical life skills needed for success in college and create exciting and fun memories of the end of the high school years."

When students pay less attention to their studies and skip classes, it can affect learning,have a negative effect on grades, and make the transition to collegeeven more difficult. In addition, seniors should be aware that even if a college has granted acceptance, they typically do so with a caveat that allows them to rescind their offersif a student's status changes. Other negative effectscan occur, too - like being placed on academic probation and lowering or denying financial aid that's linked to academic merit.

7 Tips for Helping Your High-Schooler

There are a number of things parents can do to help their high schoolers stay motivated throughout senior year. Experts agree that one key is to support deeper student engagement, Here are some tips from College Board to help your child stay motivated.

1. Work closely with the school counselor. As Suzuki notes, school counselors "work with students and consult with teachers, parents, and guardians providing support and

collaborating on interventions to deal with stress. This includes senioritis." Working with your child's school counselor willhelp you to remain engaged and informed about the type of support your child needs at home.

2. Support a challenging course load. Enrolling in more rigorous courses can help your child to remain focused, and some courses may even apply toward college credit. When there's so much energy committed to cutting loose and having fun, a challenging schedule is a good reminder of the discipline needed to succeed in college life.

3. Keep a calendar of deadlines and other important dates. This will help your child to stay on schedule and ensure they're not overextending. In an effort to keep up with studies and an active social life, there's also a hazard of doing too much.

4. Encourage an internship or career-focused job. Such a position will arm your child with new skills, a positive resume addition, and valuable information to help inform career choices down the road. It may also put them in the midst of like-minded individuals who can help them stay on track.

5. Try not to obsess about the college admission process. Your child is likely under enough college-bound stress as it is, so plying them with continual frets about their efforts may only add to the burden. Know what's needed, help them to attend to the details, and know that you're both doing your best to achieve the balance that's so important.

6. Caution about social media use. Remind your child about the hazards of posting anything on social mediathat a school or employer may frown upon. Senioritis and related celebrations may skew judgement and leave digital footprints they could regret down the road. Although policies vary among schools, many do evaluate student profiles and posts- and negative images and messaging can impact admission decisions.

7. Be an advocate of responsible fun. Senior year should be a memorable and enjoyable experience for your child, so you want to advocate beyond all-work-and-no-play. Support positive activities they'll enjoy - but that will also keep them out of trouble.

Senior year is a time to enjoy and cherish. However, the dangers of senioritis should not be underestimated as it can tarnish the stellar record your child has worked so hard to achieve. By recognizing the symptoms of senioritis and following a few tips to support your child's success, you can help to ensure that senior year will be something you both can be proud of for many years to come.