Each year, a dangerous epidemic devastates high schools across the country. It ruthlessly targets students in their final year of secondary school, obstructing their path to success and infecting them with a negligent attitude toward their own education.
Just over 70 % of surveyed Blue Valley seniors, including Evana Lynn and Isaac Burton, are currently affected by this dreadful disease, commonly known as senioritis.
“It’s not even funny — every day I wake up, and I’m like, ‘I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to do anything,’” Lynn said. “[When] I go home, I’m on my phone all the time and don’t do my homework. It’s really rough. I’m a B-baller trying to shoot — but where’s the net?”
Burton has experienced similar symptoms since the second semester of junior year.
“I don’t want to be here,” he said. “I don’t care about what I’m doing, [and I’m not] enjoying what I’m doing.”
Senior Kallie Keiter, who does not suffer from senioritis, has noticed changes in the behavior of her fellow peers who have fallen victim to this epidemic.
“They give up on their academics and stop trying in school as much as they used to,” Keiter said. “[There are] definitely a lot more people not caring about tests. I don’t think I ever really cared about a test or a grade. I think I can’t get senioritis because I’ve had it since freshman year.”
This behavior can be damaging to seniors who strive for academic success. Lynn, who previously strived for A’s in every class, has stopped putting as much effort into her studies after developing senioritis.
“It only started this semester — last semester, I was on the grind doing everything. I was totally fine,” she said. “This semester, I don’t want to do my homework. I’m OK with B’s in every class right now.”
Burton agreed that senioritis is especially harmful for high achievers but believes it isn’t always as dangerous as it seems.
“If you have goals like good grades, it definitely affects that,” he said. “If you’re just there for the experience and you want to enjoy the last bit of your year, [it doesn’t matter].”
Even though overcoming senioritis may seem impossible, Keiter and Lynn think it is possible to avoid or even conquer.
“Having the mindset [that] your tests aren’t for your letter grade [can help],” Keiter said. “You’re not here to get an A or B. You’re here to learn the content.”
Besides not stressing as much about grades, enjoying social interactions can be a remedy for senioritis.
“The best way to overcome it is by talking all the time in class,” Lynn said. “Enjoy it and have fun. Hang out with friends.”
Lynn thinks the key to enjoying the last year of high school is being more intentional with involvement in school.
“[Your senior year] should be the most exciting year of your life,” she said. “If you’re not putting in energy for it, you’re going to get the same thing back. You’re not going to enjoy school as much if you’re not putting in that effort.”
