With the school year ending, everyone is counting the days until the last day of school. For many the school year has been both long and draining, especially for seniors. Regarding this issue for seniors, some call this “Senioritis.” This is just a joke for some, but this is a real problem for many.
What is Senioritis?
Senioritis is a term used to describe a decrease in motivation that seniors specifically endure toward the end of a school year. Many describe this feeling as “burnt out.” The significance of this problem can vary and affects everyone differently. This burnout can sometimes reflect in the student's grades, mental health, and more. The reason this can be important is certain college requirements, some colleges hold policies requiring incoming freshmen to maintain their current GPA. All of this put together puts unneeded stress on students and creates a toxic environment.
Symptoms
You might be wondering if this applies to you, again, these can vary and can affect everyone differently. The most common sign would be decreased motivation specifically relating to school. Next would be lacking the ability to focus, such as thinking about lying in bed rather than an assignment. Finally, the feeling of “not caring” about your grades and other activities.
The Real Effects of Senioritis
The reality is, that there are many effects and consequences of senioritis. One of the most common is a decline in the student's grades. This can affect the student in many ways. Firstly, some students struggle with academic achievement and feel disappointed in themselves. And again, some colleges have policies regarding maintaining your GPA.
What to Do
One of the most important things for this problem is addressing it and being vocal about it. For many, this is just a small problem, but it is important to address. Reaching out to teachers, family, and friends could be beneficial since many of them have also experienced this at least once. Something this small can make this issue significantly less stressful.
Some question if senioritis is even a real thing, this issue is most definitely real and affects high school students every day. Academic burnout is something that I and many of you reading this have experienced. Many teachers and parents have unrealistic expectations of their students and children and do not realize the possible effects of doing so. It is important to address and talk about these problems and let these students know that people understand what they are going through.