There comes a time in every scholar’s life when she catches a disease. She realizes there’s a light at the end of the educational tunnel. As she nears the end of the school year, that light gets brighter and brighter until it overshadows her and soon the motivation that had propelled her through all of her projects, assignments, and study sessions suddenly seems irrational and she starts to decelerate.

It happens slowly at first, a prompt student will start turning in assignments after the due date, a neat student will start to get sloppy, and even the most committed students will start to slack off. Eventually she’ll hit a wall and almost completely check out.

She may still be physically present, but mentally and emotionally she’s focused on her future and spending the rest of her time with friends. As the weather gets nicer, hope for regaining motivation and concentration is futile.

We call this disease Senioritis. Here are a few tips for making accommodations for girls in your group who suffer from Senioritis:

Enjoy your time together. She’s right. She doesn’t have much time left as a high school student. She won’t be in your group forever, so enjoy the time you have with her. Honor the girls in your group who will be graduating – throw parties, plan special outings, and express how much you’ve appreciated having these girls as part of your group.

Embrace it. Let’s face it, it’s hard to concentrate when the weather gets nice. I’ve been out of high school for several years, and I still self-diagnose Senioritis every May. Achievement isn’t everything. Spend time as a group enjoying existing relationships and developing new friendships. Go outside to have your discussion or play a game.

Engage leaders. These girls are headed into a new phase of life and many of them will be leaving their familiar church and will be charged with the daunting task of finding a new church to call home. If girls feel engaged in leadership in their home church, being a leader in a new church will feel more natural. Allow girls in your group to teach lessons, lead discussions, or take on other leadership tasks within your group. The more they feel like leaders, the more likely they are to stay engaged in your group until they graduate.

Though the only documented cure for Senioritis is graduation, the above treatments have been successful in some trials, so all is not lost.