Cover photo courtesy of Pixels
As the school year comes to a close, the weather is getting warmer, and the motivation to participate in academic activities is dwindling. Many seniors experience a condition called senioritis. Although this isn’t a condition you can catch from someone else, it seems to spread quickly throughout Loveland High School during the spring months.
The term “senioritis” has been spreading ever since the 1950s. Senioritis is more of a mindset than an illness. It is a decline in motivation for students as they come to the end of their last school year. By the spring, most high school seniors already have plans made for the fall, whether that is college, the workforce, or the military. This condition can frustrate teachers and parents if students take it too far.
This leads to the question: why do people get senioritis? Some might say it's because students are lazy and just don’t want to do the work anymore, which can be true in some cases. However, some of the most common reasons for senioritis are burnout, an end-goal mindset, and boredom.
Burnout is the most common reason for senioritis in high-achieving students. These kinds of students have been working hard all 4 years of high school and are tired. Once they see the light at the end of the tunnel, it can give students the false idea that they have finished. It can be a ton of work to prepare for the next chapter of your life after high school, which can add to the end-of-year stress and make the light at the end of the tunnel seem that much brighter.
End-goal mindset is common in goal-oriented students. In today’s society, students are expected to constantly pursue new goals all the time. This can be a taxing task to do while in high school. Some students want to achieve a high GPA and others want to get into a certain college. Once these goals are achieved they are looking for the next goal to get them to where they want to be.
Finally, the last type of senioritis is boredom. Seniors have been in high school for 4 years and are very familiar with everything around campus. Repetitive assignments can feel like chores since schools are very traditional. It can be hard to find new ways to make classes fun instead of repetitive and boring.
One thing that keeps students motivated to complete work and continue to learn is AP exams. In the beginning of May, lots of high-achieving students will take AP exams at the end of an AP class. These exams determine if you get college credit for the work you put in during the school year. To save work in the long run, students try to stay motivated to take these exams.
As this school year winds down it is important for seniors to keep their grades up and continue to put in the work in all classes. One key way to avoid senioritis is to find ways to keep your classes fun and entertaining. Keep working hard in all your classes; no matter the difficulty of the class!