481 seniors attend our school, and most of them are experiencing a total burnout, known as ‘Senioritis’. By the end of their senior year, seniors want to finish and graduate, ready to start a new chapter of their life. This anticipation for the end of the year starts to fester into a lack of motivation, which causes grades to drop, almost as a rite of passage.
“I just feel almost like I can’t do anything… I’m so tired of doing my work and like working hard that the semester just feels terrible, I feel like I just want to lay in bed and do nothing,” senior Elizabeth Tittle said.
By the time senioritis has taken over the entirety of the victim’s body, grades can plummet. Hands stop working, the brain fogs up and motivation hits an all-time low.
“It’s definitely more of a burnout. You just have so many things in the beginning and then it just continues after that,” senior Elizabeth Vincent said.
Because of college acceptance letters and granted scholarships, students become distracted with the illusion of a secure future and begin to plummet in the classroom.
“I think it’s not turning it (schoolwork) in at all,” Mellesa Denny, the speech and debate teacher, said. “Everyone thinks that they look at the grade and it’s important until at the end and they’re like ‘Am I passing?, that’s really all I care about.’ They’ve already gotten their scholarships and got accepted to colleges so sometimes it’s more of like a ‘Do I really have to do this?’”
Why would anyone do the extra work if they already had the college of their dreams in the bag? They put in elbow grease, and they have gotten the reward. It is human nature to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of labor.
“I’ve already been accepted into the college that I want to go to… I didn’t really see the importance of having high grades now that my GPA and everything has been submitted to West Texas A&M,” Tittle said. “So… it doesn’t matter… I’ve already been accepted, and everything’s worked out already.”
But, on the contrary, they have not met the end of the road yet. Senoritis can make a concrete future fall apart before it even starts.
“It boils down to remembering that your grades still count, schools can redact scholarships and or acceptance letters if they start seeing a slip…” Craig Hubbard, the senior principal said.
Senioritis becomes a struggle for all seniors, and the severity depends on the individual. Aidan Anderson, a writer and editor with the Sandie Newspaper, explains what senioritis like for him.
“Senioritis has definitely affected more than just school; I find myself not having the same passions for stuff I typically enjoy, including extracurriculars like debate or entertainment like basketball,” Anderson said. “Also, I find myself sort of dodging engagements with friends because of tiredness and senioritis making it feel like hanging out is just another responsibility.”
Most of the people interviewed said they have not found a solution for senioritis, but Vincent did have some advice for future seniors.
“I would tell them even when you are feeling like you cannot give anymore, just give it your all… do not get burned out, and just keep trying,” Vincent said.
