By: Jonathan Franklin, Senior Writer

Looking back to the beginning of this semester, I would have never thought that it would have flown by as fast it did. Okay, so I take that back; maybe I knew it would but wasn’t expecting it to do so. As the end of the semester begins to close and we begin to hit the books and try to find our syllabi for what we actually learned in class in terms of final exams, for us seniors, its more along the lines of what we shouldn’t have done toward the beginning of the semester. Now, we’re reaping the benefits – and consequences – of those early decisions.

• Example #1 – Should I really have gone out to pint night this week?
  • Of course, it’s okay to have fun…every once in a while. But putting off your responsibilities and classwork every Wednesday may have been a bit too much for you and your GPA.
• Example #2 – I shouldn’t have binge watched Netflix or Hulu that one night when I could’ve (and should’ve) been productive.
  • This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Yes, it is socially acceptable to catch up on your TGIT or the new season of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix, but there must be a balance of studying, productiveness and laziness in order to pass your classes.
• Example #3 – Was that nap really necessary?
  • I’m a big advocate for naptime and catching up on sleep; 1-2 naps a day keeps the laziness away (or more like provokes it). If you know you have a test to study for or a paper to finish writing – or a paper to start – then maybe that nap isn’t the best thing for your soul at the moment.
• Example #4 – Maybe I shouldn’t have skipped class that day…
  • We’ve all had our days of not wanting to go to class and just wanting to sleep in like it’s the weekend. Yes, there are unexcused absences and yes you should take advantage of them when needed. However, you should never use all two, three or four early in the semester or during days that are important (e.g. class before a test, day of a test, etc.). You don’t want to be that student that missed class the day the test review was discussed or other important information was given.
• Example #5 – I should’ve started my work hours ago.
  • Facebook trolling, Instagram stalking and five online purchases later, you’re still in the same place that you were before. Learn to prioritize your time and to map out how long you have for your assignments and when they are due. Senioritis is real and it comes when you least expect it…trust me.