By Sam Gassaway | Photo Editor
What’s the deal with the spring semester senior year?
I’ve found that this last semester of college has been the most difficult of my college career by far, but not necessarily because of the workload.
Throughout my experience at Baylor, I’ve handled multiple 18-hour semesters full of essays, presentations and projects. I’ve dealt with dozens of scholarship and internship applications.
It definitely wasn’t easy to get through, but I managed.
However, this little 12-hour semester is my hardest battle yet. It’s not because of material — I’m not in any particularly difficult classes, and the types of assignments I have to complete are not uniquely challenging.
Rather, the reason behind this struggle is much more psychological, a mental affliction known as “senioritis.”
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, senioritis is defined as “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.”
I would define it as a mental roadblock, a stumbling point that can trip up seniors at the very end of the road to graduation.
It’s not because of a choice to suddenly become “lazy,” but because, for the first time, I can see what’s beyond the finish line, and I feel ready to move on with my life.
It’s a state of mind that affects high school and college seniors alike.
I remember feeling the same way in the weeks leading up to my high school graduation. At that point, I knew that I would be going to Baylor and that Line Camp was just around the corner.
But this time feels different. It feels like I’m stepping into the unknown, and I don’t want to cross into that abyss of uncertainty that is adulthood.
In my case, I have been accepted to an amazing graduate school program, and I have scholarships that cover a majority of tuition costs. I should feel like I’m on top of the world right now, yet it feels like I’ve fallen face-first into the trenches. Like the war has been won, but the battle is still going on.
To put it simply, this sucks. I hate feeling this way. I want to remain motivated and push through to the finish line, but I just can’t bring myself to it. It’s terrifying to be at this point because I know I need to remain strong, yet I feel unable to do so.
In a sense, I’m glad I feel this way. I’m sad that my undergraduate experience is coming to a close, but I know this means I’m ready to move on to what’s next.
Seniors, this has been a chaotic, yet wonderful, past few years. I am incredibly thankful for the experiences that my time at Baylor has given me. From the classes and incredible professors I’ve had the honor of learning from to the extracurricular events I’ve had the chance to experience. The incredible stories that I’ve gotten to cover as a photojournalist, and the friends that I have made throughout every step of the way.
Even though I feel incredibly drained now, I will always bleed green and gold, and through every endeavor, I will continue to Sic ‘em.
