As the end of the school year quickly approaches many students of all grade levels find themselves struggling to put forth the same amount of effort as the start of the year. However, it has been known that the senior class has an especially challenging time during these last weeks.
Senioritis is a common term to describe the lack of motivation from students who are reaching the end of their high school career. Although senioritis is not classified as a clinical term, it has been recognized by several scientists’ and psychologists as a serious decline in students’ motivation towards grades and school work in general.
“Senioritis is most often characterized by a loss of motivation. Symptoms to look out for include a drop in grades, not completing assignments, procrastination, and a loss of interest in studies,” Academic Advisor at Southern New Hampshire University Hillary Shields said.
The most common symptoms apart from those can be feeling burnt out and anxious due to completing school work.
According to Education World, senioritis can be caused by several factors including detachment anxiety and the desire to begin a new chapter in life.
“I’m so excited to start college and I just want to be done with high school. It’s been constant work since junior year and I’m ready to take a break,” NHS senior Rachal Szor said.
Szor feels that the amount of work in high school is draining and once you know it is almost over, it is very difficult to continue working as hard.
“Since I committed to college I’ve wanted to throw everything away and just relax. I’m really unmotivated and just so exhausted,” NHS senior Madelyn Watson said.
Watson feels that senioritis should be taken into consideration when teachers and administrators plan out the final units of the school year to avoid serious damage to students’ GPA’s.
“I cannot say medically that senioritis is a thing, but I do believe some seniors become a bit lackadaisical near the end of senior year. This could be for a variety of reasons,” NHS Assistant Principal David Roach said.
Roach feels that it is important for administrators to keep encouraging students to finish off the year strong and to do their best.
Although senioritis can be challenging to prevent, there are several ways to get yourself back on track.
Setting goals has been known to be helpful when dealing with a lack of motivation. Having a goal to strive for can be very motivating and help to keep focus. Rewarding yourself is another helpful method since it can help to avoid burnout and leave you with something to look forward to. Being organized has also been proven to help you stay ahead of school work and make sure you get assignments completed.
“I have definitely felt myself losing motivation to do work and to come to school since I committed to college. It just feels so optional and like it won’t really make a difference if I come or not. I try to stay focused in class and do my work, but it’s gotten really hard to get things done,” NHS senior Sydney Oltran said.
Oltran thinks it’s crucial for seniors to set themselves up for success early in the year so that senioritis does not hurt their grades.
Senioritis has been recognized around the nation and many students feel the effects of their high school career ending. Although it can be an exciting time in many lives, it can be extremely hurtful in the long run if it is not handled properly.
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