Senioritis: it’s something just about every senior has felt at some point during their senior year. Some feel as if they have had a case of it since their first year of high school. You may be asking, “What is ‘Senioritis’ exactly?” Well, the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “A supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” A study by Omniscient shows that, in high school alone, 78% of all seniors experience this phenomenon nationwide.
Some say senior year is the easiest year for a student, but I for one can say this is not necessarily true. If you take as few classes as you possibly can, then sure, it’s easy. For most seniors though, AP classes and extracurriculars make it much less so. I have felt so stressed all year by keeping up with my AP classes, my grades, all my clubs, all my extracurriculars, and trying to squeeze a job in there. I was in one sport first semester, but now I will be in two. I am in four clubs and I help manage boys’ hockey. It all adds up pretty quickly and I have little to no free time after school every day. I know there are a lot of other seniors that are feeling this heat as well. With others, it may be up to three sports they have to account for in addition to their multiple AP classes.
Not only is everything I have to do at this moment in high school frustrating, but the prospect of what to do in the future after high school is extremely stressful. Senior year is when you finalize your options and apply to school after school trying to find the best fit for not only you but for the people around you. I, myself, feel that if I don’t apply to the best schools, I am a failure and I feel lesser than my classmates who are getting into multiple great colleges. At the end of the day, I got into a good school and I don’t have to worry about applying anymore, but I thought that would be the end of it.
Of course, applying to colleges isn’t a single-step process; I have to apply for housing, financial aid, and so much more. I find it so hard to try to focus on high school while I’m already picking out what dorm I’m staying in for college. I feel as if I checked out the minute I pushed submit. I mean, what’s the point of trying in school anymore? I’ve gotten into college, I just have to do the bare minimum to keep my grades passing and I’m done.
However, if I did that, my parents would be super disappointed in me and I know my teachers would be as well. I used to feel sick if my grades got below an ‘A’. Now, in my senior year, I’ve just stopped caring. I try my best, and if my best doesn’t get me an ‘A’, what can I do? I know I can go in early and get help, but I already have a heavy load I don’t want to add more. The best thing is though, I know I’m not alone when I’m feeling this stress.
How can one avoid getting a case of Senioritis? I have a few solutions you can try out. One is to try setting daily, weekly, or monthly goals for yourself. You reward yourself when that goal is accomplished, and you don’t punish yourself if it is not met. You can also try to get a paper schedule or planner to organize your heavy workload. I find I work best when I can plan out my day and schedule some time aside where I can do my work.
While it is good to get things done, it is also good to take a break for yourself. Always remember to set some time aside to take a break from your daily to-do’s to relax and maybe try something new, like sewing or baking. Your mental health should always have priority over schoolwork. Make sure to get the help you need so things don’t get smothered by work. One last thing that you can do to help yourself avoid a case of Senioritis is to surround yourself with friends and people who will support you with any stress or doubts you may have about school. Just remember that you are not alone if you are feeling this low motivation and there is always a way to get out of the slump.