Senioritis. It's a term used to describe a "lack of motivation or performance" in high school seniors, according to Google. I have news for all of you, it affects any senior, high school or college. I am going to be entering my final semester of college and the senioritis is real. From my interactions with my friends and myself, I can tell you that while it is a fictional disorder, it should be real; especially for those with chronic illnesses.
I have noticed that the lack of motivation in seniors often accompanies questions of, "What will I do after college?" We spend so much time in school that there is a genuine depression that seems to be associated with finishing school. What should be a high achievement in your life turns out to look like an extreme low, because we really don't know what to do after we get out of college. What will our life obligations be when we no longer have to go to class and write that boring paper or attempt to do homework we don't understand. When we finally get off the struggle bus, where did we end up?
That can also lead to some major anxiety about graduating. For example, the thoughts of "What if I didn't learn enough?" or "What if I am not prepared enough to do the job I want?" These are self-esteem crippling thoughts and could very well affect our performance. Not because of "lack of motivation" but instead because our feelings are getting the best of us. It can be extremely hard for someone to be that unsure of their future. This is the one part of my life that I have noticed a plan can be made but almost always doesn't work because of how much things change. You never know what job you will end up getting out of all those interviews, if you will move somewhere new and have to meet new people, or even what graduate school you will go to (which a lot of people work full time during anyways).
The last thing Senioritis can affect is a physically debilitating disease, such as Fibromyalgia and Arthritis. I can personally attest to how it affects people with arthritis. Often I find that my emotions can trigger flares and I hate to break it to anyone that isn't there yet, but senior year is the year of emotions and therefore it is the year of flare-ups. All of these milestones seem to happen at once: applying for jobs, applying for graduate programs, getting accepted to any of those, possibly having to move and more.
Getting that cap and gown feels like such a big point in your life, and so does the thought of walking across the stage and shaking the hand of the University's president. But senioritis is so much more than just lack of motivation or performance. It's the anxiety and depression and other physical symptoms that come with being a senior and facing life in the real world. Unfortunately, there is no treatment other than love and support from your family and friends. They know you can get through it and be an adult, even if you don't think you can.
