Graduation day is fast approaching at American International College.

Graduation is scheduled for May 11, 2019 at 9 a.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Students have been preparing for this special day for a while. They have been busy doing homework assignments, writing papers, and studying for tests.

Seniors are also required to take a Senior Seminar course in their particular major and create a final paper or presentation. This final project allows the student to show what he or she has learned at American International College.

Some final projects are done individually, and others are done in groups.

For example, the business majors are working on a project to build a company from scratch.  They are required to attend all group meetings and work with students who are majoring in finance, management, marketing and other majors to create a company. This prepares the student to work in the business world.

One of the most difficult problems that some seniors must overcome is known as senioritis.  Senioritis usually starts in the middle of the fall semester of the student’s senior year. The first part of the semester, the student seems to have a lot of energy, but then they seem to lose their spark.  Students begin to skip class, miss homework assignments, and hand assignments in late. Students who suffer the effects of senioritis also spend more time partying with their friends.

Justin Leaphart is currently a Graduate Student at American International College who is working on his Master of Business Administration degree.

Leaphart recently shared his thoughts on senioritis.

“I view senioritis as something that is inevitable for most people,” he said.

“It’s like the end of a work day and wanting it to be over.  I experienced it starting a month before my last semester as college came to a close. I felt that I made it this far and I would settle for a ‘C’ rather than drain myself studying all of the time,” Leaphart added.

Other students seem to agree with him.

Shanell Russo is also a senior at AIC majoring in Sociology.  She also is affected by the dreaded senioritis bug, but she tries to fight it.

She advises, “Stay in school or you won’t go anywhere in life.  You will have to support yourself and you need to keep shining!”

At least one senior student on campus is surprisingly not affected by senioritis.

Shanel Shirley, who is majoring in International Studies, is keyed on her work.

“When I realized that I was going to be a senior, I looked at the amount of work that I needed to do to graduate, and that made me become very focused,” Shirley said.

For most students, senioritis gets even worse in the spring.

Students have Spring Break in the middle of March and a lot of students go to the beach at that time.  When they return to school, students realize they have a short amount of time until the end of the semester.

Leaphart noted, “I just wanted to enjoy my last moments of undergrad with my friends and with a little warm weather; doing homework constantly becomes extremely unmotivating.”

Most students feel the hardest part about being a senior is the amount of homework that is required.  It seems that more of the papers that are assigned to a senior become more detailed because the students are focused on completing their major.

The homework combined with a case of senioritis adds increasing stress to the student.

The future looks bright for this year’s graduating seniors.

“After I graduate next year, I will definitely miss it, and it will always have a special place in my heart due to the amazing people and memories that I’ve made along the way,” Leaphart said.

He plans to teach English in China after graduation.

Shanel Shirley will also miss AIC after she graduates.

She said she plans to “teach English abroad or become a substitute teacher near Boston. I also plan to go to graduate school.”

Shanell Russo said, “My plans are to get my PhD…to work with Nike to help bring higher income to low wage workers in sweatshops…build a safe house for rape victims… What I’ll miss is the staff and mentors I have made on campus and the friends I’ve made as well.”

The future looks bright for our graduates.  Congratulations Class of 2019!