Letter to the editor

Seniors with A’s shouldn’t have to take their finals.

I’m sitting on my bed, rushing to read the first and last pages of the reading for a class I have in 20 minutes, completely overwhelmed, stressed — yet convinced that somehow it will get done. When did this sudden change of heart and perseverance occur? How have typical procrastination techniques of beginning an assignment the night before class turned into beginning an assignment an hour before class? It seems as though I have a serious problem on my hands, but after a few conversations over much-needed wine with girlfriends about the “stress” of it all, I realized I am not the only one. It’s time something is done about this.

Senioritis has officially and unintentionally taken over my senior year at USC. While many believe that senioritis is an imaginary disease seniors use as an excuse to slack off and party rather than work, there seems to be something incredibly real about it. With this and my grades in mind — and the grades of the thousands of seniors at USC and on campuses around the country — it is time to do something to combat this epidemic.

For many seniors, the prospect of “the end,” coupled with three-and-a-half years of working hard, causes an uncontrollable urge to be less motivated than in prior semesters. Seniors who already have jobs, graduate schools and future plans solidified, or who subscribe to the idea that last semester grades don’t matter as much, have little incentive to do their best in class.

In order to instill motivation, USC should implement a policy to promote new energy for seniors. If a student has an A in the class going into the final, the student shouldn’t have to take the final at all; he or she should automatically receive an A in the class.

If USC adopted this policy and applied it only to students in their last full-time semester of college, seniors would be more inclined to keep up their grades throughout the semester.

While some people might argue that this policy would lower the university’s academic standards, it would motivate seniors to actually complete their assignments.

In the meantime, I’ll be vigorously working to cure myself of this horrid disease. Back to studying!

Jade Fleury

Senior, communication