It is nearing the end of the school year. Spring break is over, college applications have been sent in and accepted, and everyone is getting ready to be in summer mode. All of these things means that students, especially seniors, are starting to slow down and aren’t caring as much about their assignments. In other words, they are coming down with a severe case of “Senioritis”. 

“Senioritis” is a phenomenon that affects students, usually in their last year of school, hence the name “senior” -itis. Some “symptoms” of senioritis are slowing down on school work, not caring about class, and even not showing up to classes all together. Most of these symptoms start to occur at the end of the year after spring break, when there are only a few weeks left of the year.

“When I came back from spring break, I don’t think I turned in an assignment for like maybe a month after, and even then, I’m good on credits so realistically the only things I have to pass are my English and my Econ class…,” senior Tony Macias shares. 

The grade aspect of this whole situation is what gets especially complicated. Since seniors have already sent in their grades for college applications and have gotten accepted, many don’t feel the need to keep trying for their final high school grades. So, due to college already being in the near future, seniors begin to let their high school grades drop right at the finish line. This can cause an even more serious issue for students, as colleges can place incoming students on Academic Probation or even revoke acceptances if they start to notice a student’s high school grades drop.  

Since senioritis is an issue that so many students face, there have become different ways to overcome it and get back on track again. The main and probably most important way to stay on track is by setting realistic goals for yourself. These can be as simple as turning in a few missing assignments a week or as big as trying to get your overall GPA up by the end of the semester. Whatever it is though, any sort of goal or plan can help to keep students moving at the right pace for the rest of the year. 

When asked about senioritis, North senior Christian Avella shares that he stays on track after some time off, unlike many other students, “No, after spring break I actually start caring about my grades,”. 

This feeling that Christian shares is not so uncommon actually, as many seniors find it is go-time after spring break, even after sending in their college applications. 

Senioritis not only affects current seniors, but also underclassmen that are leading up to their senior year. These habits of sleeping in late and missing classes and not turning in work is something that is really easy to get into but not so easy to get out of. Building these negative habits as freshman, sophomores, and juniors makes it much harder to keep going and avoid senioritis during senior year. Making sure to keep going and stay on top of work throughout high school will ensure better work habits and success later in life and high school. 

With this year coming to a close, and for so many students, one of the last stops of their education journey, make sure to stay on track and don’t catch a case of senioritis yourself. Enjoy your final days in high school, remember all the fun memories you have and take them with you to wherever you go next.