Senioritis Leaves Seniors Stressed During the Springtime

By Emily Gabriel

After four years of hard work, seniors are receiving their college acceptances and anticipating summer. For some, this can lead to a loss in motivation known as senioritis. It occurs in many seniors during the second half of the year, but is yet to be classified as a medical condition or mental health disorder. Frankly, many adults believe senioritis is a synonym seniors use for laziness. 

Having senioritis can vary in severity. While some students tend to put in less effort on assignments, procrastinate, have trouble getting out of bed, and have low energy, other students begin cheating and using drugs and alcohol. Seniors can feel anxious and overwhelmed with college applications which only makes it more difficult.

There are many reasons as to why senioritis occurs. For one, seniors have worked so hard to earn perfect grades and hold fantastic leadership positions that they simply burn out and need a break. Another reason is college acceptance. Many seniors want to get into college and by May most students know where they are going. These acceptances prove that all their hard work has paid off and many no longer see the point of finishing the school year strong. This results in boredom as students lose the passion of learning because they know that they already got into college. Lastly, many seniors are feeling nervous, excited, or sad about starting a new chapter in their lives and doing less work helps manage their emotions. 

Senioritis is hard to move past, but seniors must not forget that some colleges will require final transcripts at the end of the year. If grades are too low, colleges can revoke admission, put students on probation, and take away scholarships. Colleges want students who will work hard until the very end and if not, they are not afraid to find students who will. Senioritis can turn into lazy habits so it is important to try and break the cycle.

Graduation is the cure for senioritis, but there are many other tips to try and help. For one, staying persistent with work and studying will help develop resilience. Procrastination can be hard to overcome, but planning each day out can help a lot. Also, prioritizing school work is important and making sure to maintain good grades should be the goal. Mental health is important, especially now that we are living through a pandemic, so make time to relax and self reflect every so often. It is okay to take breaks, but make sure it does not turn into procrastination and loss of motivation. Also, creating a new working environment can help declutter stuff that is no longer useful and portray a renewed space. 

There is debate as to whether senioritis is a hoax, but finding ways to eliminate it will help in the long run. College is about four months aways and highschool ends very soon, so why not end on a good note? Find things that are motivating and will help eliminate the feeling of senioritis. 

SOURCES:

https://www.trade-schools.net/articles/senioritis