The Mycenaean

Towards the end of the year, students start to get burnt out from all their schoolwork and extracurricular activities. This burnout is mostly prevalent in the senior class because of the end of their high school career is so near; this has earned it the term “Senior-itis”. 

“It’s like not having motivation to go to school or do any schoolwork…you don’t feel like you need to do anything else,” said Taft Brock, senior. 

“You know that you need to do the work, and you know that it’s necessary but you really, really don’t want to,” said Carson Thorne, senior. 

Senior-itis is caused by several senior-specific factors, chief among them being that by this time, most seniors know where they are going to college. Once they’ve been accepted, most don’t see the point in continuing to try in high school. 

“I’m already accepted into college. I’m already going, and I literally have a month left. There’s no point for me to be here,” said Georgia Lilley, senior. 

Most seniors start to feel the effects of senioritis during the second semester, but some find the first semester just as hard as well. 

“I’d say [Senior-itis] is more prevalent in first semester… you’re just becoming a senior, you still have a whole year ahead of you, whereas now we have things to celebrate,” said Thorne. 

For those who say it’s worse in the first semester, the looming presence of another whole year of high school is enough to squash their motivation, and the end-of-year celebrations give them something to look forward to. 

On the other hand, some say it’s worse in the second semester due to the fact that they’ve already been accepted to colleges, and all the end-of-year celebrations are just reminders that the end is near, so why bother trying? 

“You’re just so close…second semester, you’re already in college, so you’re just waiting until you’re out of school,” said Brock. 

“I already have everything I need. I already have a roommate. I’m just so ready to leave,” said Lilley. 

When it comes to managing Senior-itis, some find that their extracurricular and out-of-school lives can help them find motivation. 

“I go for lots of walks,” said Thorne. 

In addition, eligibility for school sports teams depends in part on a student’s attendance, so if seniors want to play for their school teams, they need to be in school most of the time. 

“I do cheer in school and I think it definitely helps with [Senior-itis], because if I miss a certain amount of school, I get kicked off the cheer team,” said Lilley. 

However, sometimes seniors’ lives outside of school can contribute to the lack of motivation in school.

“It definitely does not help, I work four days a week and spend my time doing other things, so school’s not really my top priority right now,” said Brock.

With the end of their high school career so close, it’s easy for seniors to succumb to Senior-itis. Most try to manage the consequences and finish strong through their last few months of high school.