for those accepted into grad programs straight from undergrad

[adsum]

for those who applied and got accepted into grad programs while finishing their last year of undergrad, i'm curious to know if any of you were struck with a severe case of senioritis? if so, how did you deal?

i have been everything but productive this past quarter... and it's at an all time high. i have a final on wednesday and i have NO desire to study.... and i really should, considering i've only shown up to class on quiz dates.... i don't want to f*ck up my GPA with just one more quarter to go, but at the same time, i've lost all motivation to do coursework since the courses i am taking are the final (non interesting) courses required for my graduation. UGH!!! its like pulling teeth. help. please share motivating thoughts.

[chaospaladin]

for those who applied and got accepted into grad programs while finishing their last year of undergrad, i'm curious to know if any of you were struck with a severe case of senioritis? if so, how did you deal?

i have been everything but productive this past quarter... and it's at an all time high. i have a final on wednesday and i have NO desire to study.... and i really should, considering i've only shown up to class on quiz dates.... i don't want to f*ck up my GPA with just one more quarter to go, but at the same time, i've lost all motivation to do coursework since the courses i am taking are the final (non interesting) courses required for my graduation. UGH!!! its like pulling teeth. help. please share motivating thoughts.

What GPA would you need to not get your admission offer rescinded? Would it be a 3.00 GPA?

[123infinity]

I definitely know how you feel. I'm also taking the "leftover" classes required to graduate. When I tell people I'm over it - they usually follow up with, "Aren't you going to grad school? You better get used to it."

I'm just over undergrad, this city, and ready to start something new.

Keep a countdown to help you be motivated. Not too much longer :]

[neuropsych76]

I wish I could share some motivating thoughts but I also have senioritis

Last semester was hell because I had so much going on along with the whole grad school application process and I somehow managed a 3.9. This semester after I have SO much free time with just 2 easy classes but I probably won't get A's in either of them just because I have zero motivation after my first acceptance. I think it's a natural feeling but not just limited to those who are going strait to grad school.

[Eigen]

I had a bunch of ::coughbullshitcough:: classes my last semester- the music credit I hadn't taken, a technical writing class that was painfully easy, etc... It was really hard to stay focused. So to help, about a week into the semester I went and asked some professors teaching graduate classes in other related departments if I could sit in.... It gave me something challenging and different to focus on, and really helped.

The Statistical Thermodynamics class I took in the physics department helped a lot, and I actually made a nice connection with that prof.

Finding something you can really get into is good. If you're doing research, diving into that helps- if not, find some research to dive into!

If you have an idea where you're going to be studying/what area you're going to be working in, start working your way through that literature and coming up with ideas.

[robot_hamster]

Distracting yourself with something new like the others have suggested may or may not help you get motivated. For me, I think it would have just been something that would enable me to procrastinate even more. I had some serious senioritis my last semester of undergrad. I only had two classes too. One was a missing requirement and the other was a class that I thought would be fun to take. When it came to sitting down and writing papers for these classes though, it was pretty much forget it. Any excuse to do something other than what I was supposed to be doing was accepted by me with open arms! I got through it by sitting down and forcing myself to work on stuff bit by bit. I wish I could say that things will be different once you get to grad school, but it is very possible they may not be. I guess it depends on how excited you are for the classes and what research you will be doing. It is possible that the cycle will just start all over again once the completion of your program starts to draw near.

[Gelpfrat the Bold]

I felt the same way as a final-semester undergraduate, although I hadn't been accepted for a PhD (I was going into a MA though). I was feeling kind of burned out from work and from the horribly stressful first semester, and since I knew I'd be moving far away after graduation I wanted to spend more time hanging out with my friends and enjoying myself instead of just working all the time as I had for the last 3.5 years. So that's what I did. I didn't turn into a total slacker, but I definitely let my expectations of myself down a little bit as far as academics were concerned. I ended up getting better grades that semester than I ever had before, and actually improving my final GPA. I don't want to give bad advice and tell you not to bother showing up for class anymore (don't do that!), but really, if you've been accepted to a PhD program you're probably a really good student, and you can probably afford to do a little less work without putting yourself at risk of not graduating or not meeting PhD entry requirements. Since doing well as an undergrad has already gotten you what you needed from it (your PhD spot), it's okay not to stress about your GPA declining a tiny bit. But aside from that, you'd be surprised at how well academic auto-pilot can work for you by this stage. You're probably a lot better at producing good work without trying as hard as possible than you think you are. So anyways, stay on track, keep going to class and doing your assignments, but it's fine if you're not as obsessive over them as you used to be. You've got 6 years ahead of you to put your all into your academic work. Relax a little, enjoy your final semester, and don't make yourself burn out before you've even started your PhD! There's no need to feel guilty, it's normal!

[The Dudester]

I was just like this until I got acceptances. Then my enthusiasm for the future took off and is carrying me though the end here.

[amanda lauren]

I am going through the exact same thing right now. I thought my senioritis was bad in my senior year of high school, but that's more like comparing a mild cold to mono - it's NOTHING next to the senioritis I have right now. I've already been accepted to a few grad schools, including my dream school, so I think the switch in my brain has flipped from "need to do well so I get into grad school" to "already accepted to grad school and no longer care about undergrad whatsoever". I've been doing the work for classes and everything, it's not like I haven't been handing in assignments or attending classes, but I have found that I half-ass all of my assignments and don't care that I'm not putting in more effort, and when I'm in class I just really don't care about anything the professor is talking about. I think it's worst in my Anthro 101 class - it's a requirement for sociology majors at my school, and I left it until my last semester of undergrad. Sitting in a 250-person lecture class with about 200 freshmen is NOT motivating me. I'm putting in the work required to at least pass the classes, and I'm probably getting around a B in all of my courses right now...the sad thing is, normally I'd think "how can I bring that up to an A", but right now all I can think is "hey, at least I'm passing"!

[scyrus]

It's rough. I'm taking exactly 0 classes I'm actually interested in this semester. The only thing that's interesting is my senior thesis work, but because I'm taking so many of the core requirement classes that are all useless but voluminous memorization classes, I don't have too much time to devote towards it. I just can't wait for May.

[IRdreams]

I think senioritis is pretty inevitable, or at least it was for me. And I don't think it is connected to what classes you are taking or the fact that you left the most boring requirements to the end. I had a terrible case of it even though I was working on a thesis I had invested much blood, sweat, and tears into as well as taking upper division astronomy classes because they sound and were in fact amazing. Anyways, it clears up when you start your grad course work so just float on now if you need to with the conviction that you will be moving on to bigger and better things.

On a related note, I always get transitional depression which fuels my senioritis lack of motivation. This might be something to consider. You are planning on making a pretty substantial change in life plans. I also remember senior year sucking for this reason and the fact that there were so many unknowns. Would I get a job? Would I go to grad school? Which grad school would take me? Will there be funding? Will it be in a good city? What will my cohort be like? Will I have a good adviser and committee? Am I really cut out for grad school or were the schools that rejected me right? Ect ect ect. Maybe it is just me, but it is pretty hard to be motivated with that much existential angst hanging around.

Edited March 20, 2011 by IRdreams

[closetgeek]

I definitely have a bad case of senioritis.. like many others, my previous semester was hell.. now, I only need 4 hours to graduate, but I took 2 extra classes in my major because they sounded fun (but they aren't required so its hard to care). This semester isn't even all that hard, I'm just lazy now..I don't even have Monday/Friday classes! That makes my procrastination even worse -- you know how hard it is to concentrate when you have a break coming up..that's how it is for me every week lol. oddly enough, even as I procrastinate, my grades aren't actually suffering..I've always been a good procrastinator . So I guess my advice is: learn to effectively procrastinate and you'll be okay! (I kid! kinda)

[adinutzyc]

Sign me up for that too! I am taking too many hard homework intensive classes for friggin senior year, I also have a thesis to write, and I don't feel like doing anything. Or I always do the wrong thing. It is extremely annoying, and am really mad at myself because of that.. I need to pass my final year in order to actually go to the program I want to go to, and nobody (except for myself) seems to be cutting me any slack. I really wish I could work more on my senior project, which is due at the end of April though, but homework and exams and grad school visits always get in the way. And when I have down time, I just watch TV....

Also, I was wondering whether there really was a cut-off GPA that would get programs to rescind their offers... There was none on my admission papers...

[RNadine21]

I like the idea of finding interesting things to motivate yourself with. I also highly suggest relaxing and giving yourself some breathing space. My classes started piling work on me during my last semester, and I let myself get so stressed out that I started having panic attack symptoms - chest pain, breathing problems, numbness in my arm. It was bad. Give yourself a break and enjoy your last semester.

[natsteel]

Generally, I think as long as you get your degree on time, that your offer is safe. Though I have seen some schools make conditional GPA requirements, but that seems to have been on an individual basis.

I'm fighting this problem as well. Though mine is compounded by the fact that I am taking 19 credits in order to graduate on time, having already been accepted to my top choice. 6 of those credits are independent studies and I'm also taking an honors research colloquium and writing my second honors research essay. On top of that, I have economics and lit classes which I put off to the very end and could not care less about. I'll probably still get A's in them, but they will be the cheapest A's I've ever gotten. I really couldn't care less if I got C's in them since my GPA is strong enough that I'd still graduate summa cum laude even with the two C's. The most troubling thing is that it feels unnatural or out-of-character to me to feel so ambivalent toward my schoolwork, even though they are non-major-related courses.

One thing I did do to make it more interesting... I have a large lecture economics class and found out that Michio Kaku is teaching Astronomy in the same room right after my class. So after my class is over, I go up to the last row of the lecture hall and watch him teach the Astronomy course.

Edited March 27, 2011 by natsteel

[singlecell]

One thing I did do to make it more interesting... I have a large lecture economics class and found out that Michio Kaku is teaching Astronomy in the same room right after my class. So after my class is over, I go up to the last row of the lecture hall and watch him teach the Astronomy course.

That is sweet!!!! He must be an amazing lecturer.

To echo everyone here, I have senioritis too. For my classes at least. I find myself devoting more and more time to my research project, which attributes zero value to my GPA. I am motivated to bring my project to a certain point of completion before I graduate. My classes are not holding much interest, but I should be getting A's and B's. Previously I would have considered B's unacceptable, but it doesn't worry me much now that I am accepted to grad school.

[truc]

To sum my final semester of undergrad up in a nutshell: I'm over it. Besides my thesis writing seminar, I had no course requirements left to graduate. Still, in order to keep my financial aid, I had to take a "full" course load. The 12 credits of bullshi* courses I am in right now are the lightest load ever, but also the most unbearable. I just want it to be April 19th so I can turn in my thesis and relax until september.

[adsum]

Distracting yourself with something new like the others have suggested may or may not help you get motivated. For me, I think it would have just been something that would enable me to procrastinate even more. I had some serious senioritis my last semester of undergrad. I only had two classes too. One was a missing requirement and the other was a class that I thought would be fun to take. When it came to sitting down and writing papers for these classes though, it was pretty much forget it. Any excuse to do something other than what I was supposed to be doing was accepted by me with open arms! I got through it by sitting down and forcing myself to work on stuff bit by bit. I wish I could say that things will be different once you get to grad school, but it is very possible they may not be. I guess it depends on how excited you are for the classes and what research you will be doing. It is possible that the cycle will just start all over again once the completion of your program starts to draw near.

this is EXACTLY how i feel. it's not a matter of getting motivated about stuff-- i mean, i'm doing full time research, and i have 0 problems getting excited about that... to be completely honest, i probably spend more time reading and writing about my research project than i have ever done for all of my classes combined. like others have said before me, i feel that i am just over the "undergrad scene"-- the useless hours in class learning about stuff that you will never ever see again for as long as you live and the exams that test ones ability to apply meaningless facts and/or formulas to situations that will be forgotten soon after leaving the classroom.

i'm definitely OK with doing the most minimal work required for "passing".... but then i heard through the grape vine that grades DO matter even AFTER acceptance into a program IF students are competing for training grants. bahhhh!

[robot_hamster]

this is EXACTLY how i feel. it's not a matter of getting motivated about stuff-- i mean, i'm doing full time research, and i have 0 problems getting excited about that... to be completely honest, i probably spend more time reading and writing about my research project than i have ever done for all of my classes combined. like others have said before me, i feel that i am just over the "undergrad scene"-- the useless hours in class learning about stuff that you will never ever see again for as long as you live and the exams that test ones ability to apply meaningless facts and/or formulas to situations that will be forgotten soon after leaving the classroom.

i'm definitely OK with doing the most minimal work required for "passing".... but then i heard through the grape vine that grades DO matter even AFTER acceptance into a program IF students are competing for training grants. bahhhh!

Yes! In fact, I just got an e-mail about a funded MS position. It said that a requirement for consideration was to have at least a 3.2 GPA in your last 60 credit hours of undergrad. Haha!

Edited April 2, 2011 by robot_hamster

[luce373]

I had this problem really badly, but I graduated in the fall so all of my grades still mattered. I was only taking two classes, one pass/fail (a really awful requirement I'd put off) and it was like pulling teeth to do the work. I was also writing an honors thesis, preparing for a senior recital, and doing a musical, though, so it's not like I was slacking off. Luckily I was able to pull it together by doing the minimum work possible.

Now I'm just working in my lab full time until I go to grad school. It is strange to know that I'm just doing it to do it and not to work towards my thesis, but I like being in lab so it's not as hard to stay motivated for that.

[Derfasciti]

I have been an odd mix of everything this last semester. In some ways, I've never been more productive/busy. I am taking 21 credits. I also have two part time jobs as a tutor and library assistant (both jobs on campus). Including all of that, I was accepted to a prestigious scholarship that pays me a bit of money to write a 40+ page research paper. Plus, I am president of the history honor society here and have been trying to run that along with all my other responsibilities. This semester has NOT been easy. I have had a CRAP ton to do. Yet at the same time, especially the past few days I have become extremely lethargic. I think I'm burning out from all of the stress. I just can't wait till it's over.

[warpspeed]

i've been at an all time high on skipping classes and putting off work. luckily (actually, unluckily, but in this case) i've had a few personal reasons that would warrant my missing classes and I took professors this semester who i KNEW would understand if I slacked a lot and I also worked really hard in the beginning of the semester.

[WornOutGrad]

Grad school sucks! Trust me...

I wish I could go back to taking pointless classes again. Now I just wonder if I should jump off the roof. :'(

I'd give anything to go back.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

[mscongeniality1]

Grad school sucks! Trust me...

I wish I could go back to taking pointless classes again. Now I just wonder if I should jump off the roof. :'(

I'd give anything to go back.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

I have horrible, horrible senioritis right now too. Have barely given a second thought to a paper that's due next week and am 700+pages behind in reading for that same class. Why? A. because it's outside my field of study and B. I decided to take it for pass/fail credit...so I figure all I have to really do is pass...

At least for me (and for other people) I think I will be better once I am in graduate school, focusing on my areas of interest and getting to do hands-on clinic work and possibly research. I feel like if you're studying something you're really interested in, the motivation tends to follow.

[juilletmercredi]

I have horrible, horrible senioritis right now too. Have barely given a second thought to a paper that's due next week and am 700+pages behind in reading for that same class. Why? A. because it's outside my field of study and B. I decided to take it for pass/fail credit...so I figure all I have to really do is pass...

At least for me (and for other people) I think I will be better once I am in graduate school, focusing on my areas of interest and getting to do hands-on clinic work and possibly research. I feel like if you're studying something you're really interested in, the motivation tends to follow.

Eh, it depends. I went from undergrad to a PhD program in 2008, so I'm in my third year. It's both true and false. I had a bad case of senioritis my last year, but O defeated it by focusing on my research and my senior thesis AND settling for "good enough" on the other classes I was taking once I had made my decisions. You just have to be good enough, especially in non-field classes.

But on the other hand, it's better in grad school because you are focused on your area of interest - I loved taking only classes I was interested in. However, I don't necessarily agree that the motivation follows the interest. There will be pleeeeeeeeeeenty of times where you know that you love what you do and once you get started with a specific task, you'll be on a roll and really enjoy it. Yet, you don't begin because...well, whatever you're doing to procrastinate feels good! Lol.