Are you ready to be done with school? Maybe you’re sick of your classes, would rather be working at your job, at home, or are procrastinating all of your homework? You may have symptoms of senioritis. Senioritis is a phenomenon that usually occurs within students during their last year of schooling. The side-effects are a decline in motivation and an increase in procrastination.
Senior Ellie Holdorf started experiencing senioritis symptoms at the beginning of this school year. “I’m less motivated than I was the last three years,” Holdorf said. A big reason seniors experience a lack of motivation is because of how close they are to the end of their high school years. “I think my underlying cause of senioritis is knowing that the next step of life after high school is so soon,” states Holdorf.
Another underlying reason that students may experience senioritis is because they have a job outside of school. Senior Brody Stock said, “I want to get out of school quicker, so I can make money.” For seniors like Stock who are going straight into the workforce after they graduate, it may seem like a missed opportunity when they could be working and instead are still in school. “I think I started having senioritis like the first day of school this year because I was working over the whole summer and making great money. I didn’t want that to end,” said Stock.
The last main reason as to why students may experience senioritis is because they are already accepted into college, like senior Alejandra Herrera. “I started experiencing symptoms of senioritis at the beginning of this term because I found out I was already accepted into my university,” said Herrera. This can make it seem like the next step in life is so close, that some may just want the high school experience to hurry up and end so that they can move on with the next big chapter in their lives.
Although it’s okay to experience symptoms of senioritis, that doesn’t mean that you should let it take over your last year in high school. Combating senioritis can be hard and you will have to find what works for you and your busy life. Some tips from Ellie Holdorf include, “Just keep studying even if you don’t feel like it. Keep taking notes, because it will eventually be beneficial.” Holdorf has a very good point here. If you don’t feel like doing your homework or finishing up that essay, then just keep on chugging through because you will thank yourself later for getting it done. “I tell my parents to motivate me and tell me when to do my stuff,” said Herrera. If you are having problems with procrastination, then maybe having a friend or family member help remind you to stay motivated even when feeling unmotivated.
