It is getting to be that time of year for seniors. College decisions, graduation, and prom are all in the not too distant future. As fun and exciting as those things are, there is something that is not so fun that seniors must deal with as their high school careers come to an close: the deadly disease known as senioritis. Maybe it is not deadly to students’ health, but senioritis is a major threat for grades.
As the third and fourth quarter are the last two that high school seniors have to “put up” with, the motivation to get work done plummets to an all-time low, which is the main symptom of senioritis. Other symptoms include inability to focus, increased levels of procrastination, and an overall lack of motivation to do much of anything. A prime example of senioritis’ effects on students is this very article; we decided to write this a month or so ago, but just kept putting it off.
The disease works silently, and victims are often unaware of the change in their daily routine as they get less and less work done. Seniors are also at a higher risk to contract senioritis because of bad sleeping habits as well as exposure to other students that carry it. Seeing peers not doing any work makes the student much less motivated, creating a domino-like effect. This pattern gradually gets worse, and can negatively affect students’ study habits, motivation to get work done, and most importantly, grades.
The Rambler caught up with a couple seniors to get their thoughts on the senioritis epidemic.
The Rambler: “Do you think that you have senioritis? What do you feel is the best way to combat senioritis?”
Jacob Brown: “Absolutely, I spent about 2 hours a day on school work freshman year, 3 hours sophomore year, 4 hours junior year, and now I probably spend an average of 1 hour per day. Yet my grades have barely changed at all. It’s all about the mindset. You have to stay focused on both short and long term goals and remember that your last few grades still matter, and getting bad grades still have consequences even though you may be accepted to college.”
Anonymous: “If I answer these questions, that will be the most work I’ve done yet this year.”
The senioritis epidemic is growing by the day. As graduation draws nearer and nearer, the motivation for seniors to excel dwindles to dangerously low amounts, the aim shifts from “A+” to “pass,” and much less gets done.
Our advice for seniors, given by seniors, is to try to give high school your all until graduation. This year’s seniors will have to start working hard again in a mere matter of months, so start practicing for college now!
In the end, there is no true cure for senioritis, but it’s worth it to try and finish high school on a high note.