n. Senioritis

The word ‘senioritis’ is a term with a rather specific meaning. Dictionary.com defines the word as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” More specifically, Urbandictionary.com defines ‘senioritis’ as “a crippling disease that strikes high school seniors.

Symptoms include laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as graduation.” Based off of my experiences as a recent senior in high school, I feel as though I have accurately condensed the definition of ‘senioritis’ into one idea: senioritis is an excuse for laziness used by high school seniors to justify bare-minimum performances in their final year of high school.

The goal of ‘senioritis’ is to maintain decent grades while doing the least amount of work possible while maximizing the amount of fun, yet also avoiding the fear and anxiety brought about by the coming changes in life.

Teachers often say that senior year is by far the most academically challenging for a high school student. They also say that senior year grades are extremely important when it comes to applying for college because they are the most current reflection of a student’s progress.

Yet, many of those affected by ‘senioritis’ choose to forget the thought of college altogether until they are ultimately forced to apply, taking each first-semester grade with a grain of salt. In reality, only a true victim of this condition would “forget” to study for the precalculus quiz that had been assigned three days prior, and simply hope for the best when proceeding to take it.

The excuse of ‘senioritis’ has become so common that, when a senior forgets to do their AP Lang paper that is due second period, they choose to not worry about missing class and instead make a mad dash for the nurse’s office, or perhaps they skip school altogether that day. This ailment simply seems to spread like wildfire.

Although my senior year of high school has now come to a screeching halt, it is safe to say that I’ve become all too familiar with my own sense of ‘senioritis.’ There had not been a day this year that I had not attempted to sit in the cafeteria without wearing my ID, or that I had not tried to get away with wearing a non-uniform sweatshirt in class.

As I became a “chill senior” (a term used to refer to those of us who cannot help but to succumb to ‘senioritis’), I found that I, along with many of my classmates, had become easily distracted from schoolwork. When a senior is not focusing on their schoolwork, they are surely out trying to make the most of each weekend and every party before their time with their high school friends comes to an end. The more this happens, the easier an excuse ‘senioritis’ becomes.

However, a senior who has fallen victim to ‘senioritis’ knows that there is more to the tactic than simply being lazy. ‘Senioritis’ is an idea that enraptures each senior because it is a distraction from the true problem that is being avoided-graduating high school and moving forward with our lives.

To most seniors, the thought of graduating is exhilarating, yet utterly terrifying. In one month, we will be adults, about to leave for college and be free to live independently. Although the thought of unlimited freedom is empowering, it is also extremely overwhelming. Each senior is nervous to take that next step and move on from this chapter, so we embrace high school and ‘senioritis’ for as long as possible.

‘Senioritis’ is not simply an excuse to disregard school and constantly avoid responsibility, but rather is a coping mechanism that is used to help students process the future. As we worry anxiously about the coming changes in our lives, we look for a sense of security. We look for something to hold on to. For better or for worse, ‘senioritis’ has impacted everyone’s lives at one point, and will continue to do so for generations to come.