Easy to Slip—and Fall—as a High School Senior

The “slippery slope” is an oft-used metaphor that I am going to apply to the so-called "senior slide." But first, a light story.

I was going to a basketball game with my girlfriend. I parked by a curb. She opened her door, then jumped to the pavement. She landed on what she thought was a patch of snow, but the snow was hiding a slick layer of ice. She fell. Being the gentleman that I am, I stifled my laughter and rushed to check if she was OK. She was fine and the rest of the day was fun.

I have witnessed varying levels of the senior slide at my high school, as students in their last few months begin to lose interest. My own personal slide would be like me slipping on that patch of ice, flailing my arms around to regain my balance, and being successful—not falling into a face plant. I had a grade in one class drop to the, as my parents described it, “barely acceptable” level (B-). I then refocused my priorities, got more sleep and pulled the grade back up before the quarter ended. Hopefully I can get through the last quarter without falling on my back.

Others, however, have embraced the face plant. Some students deliberately set up their schedules to have only easy classes and study halls. Other kids have put minimal effort into homework and projects; some have even just stopped doing them.

The “senior slide” honestly did sneak up on me, like when my girlfriend fell on the ice. She was fine until she unexpectedly fell on her back. My life has been fairly chaotic since mid-February, and it hasn’t slowed down. My perception was that, while I was busier, I was still doing fine juggling all my various responsibilities. I was wrong—I hadn’t been putting much effort into my Advanced Placement Literature class. Luckily, my parents did intervene and help me realize that, when I am juggling a lot, I can’t let one of the “balls” fall to the ground, especially the important one: education and grades. I did “make the save” and caught the ball before it became a big problem. I'm glad I figured that out now instead of later, when that mistake could have been very expensive if it had been a college class.

To avoid a senior slide, students need to shift into the adult mindset. Even though the homework isn’t enjoyable, it is important. I'm getting scholarships because of my grades—if my GPA falls, the money goes away, too. Also, the big thing is figuring out priorities. Do you need to watch that TV show you’ve seen eight times already? Or, can you get your work done, and then play video games or whatever is really fun? Drop the stuff that isn’t actually important. Do what you need to do, and then what you enjoy.