Colleen Cecil is a Senior and third-year tutor in the Herndon Writing Center, and she serves as one of SSWCA’s Tutor Representatives.
So here you are. You’ve made it, second semester of Senior year. Whether you’ve decided on a college, still working on making that big choice, or know what your other plan is after high school, you are ready for the next step in your life. You’ve hit the Senior Slump. As much as you used to stress about what and when things were due, you find you simply feel unfazed as you long to return to your bed. Don’t. Stop. I know where you are coming from, but it’s Senior year there is so much that you can still get out of high school.
Whether you’ve been in the writing center for 1, 2, or 3 years, it has found a way to be an influential part of your day. So when the motivation drops, remember everything that your writing center has given you thus far: a community, a place to write, a place to learn, and a place to grow. Pick up a pen and write something down every day. Keep your brain engaged in the writing process because being a part of a secondary school writing center is completely out of the ordinary. To be a part of a place like a secondary school writing center is unique and something that you will only have for the last quarter of high school. The Senior Slump is real, but don’t let it keep you from realizing the opportunities in front of you and how quickly they will end. Keep sight of what you have that you could lose if you give into the very real desire to go back to bed and sleep for 8 more hours.
Outside of simply the place that the writing center is to you, think of what the writing center could be to someone else. For me, the writing center has been the place that I have grown the most in high school. I have discovered my love for writing and the writing process. The feeling of success when a tutee finally understands how to make their writing stronger is unlike any other. So in these last few months, remember that the writing center can become the exact same thing to someone else. From there, do what you can to continue the legacy of the writing center in your school and show the next tutors what the writing center can be.
The Senior Slump may seem like a large hurdle that you just don’t really feel like leaping over, but if nothing else can keep you racing through high school, do it for the writing center. Show up every day and tutor your peers and learn more about yourself in a community that supports you, before everything changes.