Senioritis: Slowing Down the Seniors
With May 15th just around the corner, the seniors are counting down the days until graduation. With less than 100 days to go, there’s only one thing slowing them down: senioritis.
Senioritis is defined as a decline in motivation or performance especially of students in their final year of high school or college, and although many experts and parents consider this phenomenon to be made up and over-exaggerated, I, as a member of the Class of 2020, would like to tell you that senioritis is real.
After 13 years of the same routine, and seeing the same people, and doing the same work, it makes sense to get burnt out and tired. We’ve done all we can do, we’ve given all we’ve got, but yet, for some reason, we have to keep going.
I don’t remember when I got senioritis but I realized I had it on August 12, 2019, the first day of school. For years, people had been telling me that (1) senior year was the easiest year of school and (2) senior year would be fun. The first statement was completely false. I remember walking in on the first day of school and almost crumbling under the weight of all the work laid out on the Honors Physics syllabus. From that day, I knew that senior year would be even harder than junior year. The second statement, though, was somewhat true, I guess. Senior year has been filled with laughs from jokes that I will cherish for a lifetime, tears from failing an exam for the first time, and carpal tunnel from writing essays to colleges I never thought I’d get into.
As the semester went on, I realized that my symptoms were getting worse and there was nothing to stop the fall. I knew I couldn’t be the only one suffering from this wicked disease so I decided to ask a few of my peers how senioritis was affecting them.
The following are direct quotes from the senior class:
“It’s like a slow fog. You feel like you’re doing good and then you feel like you have no motivation to do anything.”
-Josie Hanegan
“I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just like discouraging. It’s like you don’t even want to do anything. You’re tired. It’s pointless. You’ve been going to school for 13 years. You’re seeing the same people. You’re basically done, but you still have to go through the motions. It’s a waste of time and you’re only here because you have to be.”
-Demia Bland
“You just don’t care anymore. You’re so close to the end and you just want to know why you’re here.”
-Sam Garrett
“I got senioritis in junior year.”
-Tim Seymour & Skylar Norman
“I don’t even feel like waking up to come to school anymore. I don’t know why we have to do actual work 2nd semester anyways.”
-Stella Cummings
I took comfort in knowing that I wasn’t the only one falling behind. I’ve learned that it can happen to anyone and the only cure is graduation which is coming quicker each day. With that being said, stay strong seniors, and good luck juniors. You’re going to need it.