Senioritis is an issue every student comes across. When it comes to procrastinating and having a hard time doing your school work, you may need a little pick-me-up. Schools all across the country have different beliefs on why students get senioritis. They include students not caring to participate because they have no required classes, they don’t have any after school activities they need to pass for, but also that they just are scared for the future.
When students come into their senior year they try as hard as they can to get good grades, and at that point they have already passed most of their classes before senior year. Most of the time seniors have their required classes all in the beginning of the semester, and when that happens, the end of their senior year is “junk” classes. Once students get to a certain time of their senior year they start to not care about their grades and when that happens they tend to not care if they show up to school. That makes the school look bad and can get certain people in trouble. Students get tired of waking up early, sitting in classes that don’t matter to them. Why do that when not going to school is so much easier? In “The Sunday Dialogue: a Cure for ‘Senioritis’?” The New York Times writes, “during my many years as a superintendent of schools and more recently as an education consultant, I have noticed a large number of highly under-scheduled students. Having met their high school graduation requirements, they have chosen, with their parents’ and counselors’ permissions, to have late school arrives, multiple lunch periods and only two to three classes.” The educators in these schools are noticing a lack of care once students get so many classes open when they could be in school studying or even taking another class.
For some students, their end-of-the-day sport is their favorite thing or memory of high school. Most schools around the country have a rule that if you are not passing all of your classes you are not allowed to participate in your chosen sport. For a lot of students, passing for a school sport isn’t a concern, since they don’t have any after school activities at all. When having no push or worry in having to pass classes, students tend to catch senioritis; that is one of the easiest ways to catch that disease.
The article “When Senioritis Strikes” by The New York Times states, “Senior slump, especially the disruptive and puzzling behavior associated with it, is a way for seniors to cope with uncertainties about the future as well as a strategy for serving the emotional ties that bind them to the past that they are prepared to leave” This is why schools have created events like senior sunrise, senior spirit day, senior spirit day, senior beach day and more. These help make those students with no push get excited to participate in activities with their senior class to make memories. Having a special day for just your class creates a motivation to make your week faster to get to that exciting activity. Schools have even started having seniors leave a week before the rest of the district ends for the summer, just to give them a quicker ending to their year.
Leaving high school can be a very emotional time for some students. Most people have been in the same district their entire educational career, and are very bonded with their fellow students. Having a family in school makes it hard for some people to leave because they are most likely to never see these people again. Even for the other half of students who are excited to leave highschool, starting college can be scary no matter how prepared they are. Many parents have their own opinions on the subject. In “A Cure for Senioritis,” a graduate from Fordham University said, “I do not believe that many are emotionally ready for college life, especially if they will be living away from home.”
Senior year can be a whole different experience for each person, but teachers and staff can help change so it is good for everyone. Making activities for non athletic students, creating more classes for seniors, and helping students with preparing for college could all help. Senioritis is a diagnosis that each student can catch very quickly and everyone should believe that these statements will create a better senior year.
Senioritis is a Huge Issue
By McKenzie Gregory ‘25
Senioritis is an issue every student comes across. When it comes to procrastinating and having a hard time doing your school work, you may need a little pick-me-up. Schools all across the country have different beliefs on why students get senioritis. They include students not caring to participate because they have no required classes, they don’t have any after school activities they need to pass for, but also that they just are scared for the future.
When students come into their senior year they try as hard as they can to get good grades, and at that point they have already passed most of their classes before senior year. Most of the time seniors have their required classes all in the beginning of the semester, and when that happens, the end of their senior year is “junk” classes. Once students get to a certain time of their senior year they start to not care about their grades and when that happens they tend to not care if they show up to school. That makes the school look bad and can get certain people in trouble. Students get tired of waking up early, sitting in classes that don’t matter to them. Why do that when not going to school is so much easier? In “The Sunday Dialogue: a Cure for ‘Senioritis’?” The New York Times writes, “during my many years as a superintendent of schools and more recently as an education consultant, I have noticed a large number of highly under-scheduled students. Having met their high school graduation requirements, they have chosen, with their parents’ and counselors’ permissions, to have late school arrives, multiple lunch periods and only two to three classes.” The educators in these schools are noticing a lack of care once students get so many classes open when they could be in school studying or even taking another class.
For some students, their end-of-the-day sport is their favorite thing or memory of high school. Most schools around the country have a rule that if you are not passing all of your classes you are not allowed to participate in your chosen sport. For a lot of students, passing for a school sport isn’t a concern, since they don’t have any after school activities at all. When having no push or worry in having to pass classes, students tend to catch senioritis; that is one of the easiest ways to catch that disease.
The article “When Senioritis Strikes” by The New York Times states, “Senior slump, especially the disruptive and puzzling behavior associated with it, is a way for seniors to cope with uncertainties about the future as well as a strategy for serving the emotional ties that bind them to the past that they are prepared to leave” This is why schools have created events like senior sunrise, senior spirit day, senior spirit day, senior beach day and more. These help make those students with no push get excited to participate in activities with their senior class to make memories. Having a special day for just your class creates a motivation to make your week faster to get to that exciting activity. Schools have even started having seniors leave a week before the rest of the district ends for the summer, just to give them a quicker ending to their year.
Leaving high school can be a very emotional time for some students. Most people have been in the same district their entire educational career, and are very bonded with their fellow students. Having a family in school makes it hard for some people to leave because they are most likely to never see these people again. Even for the other half of students who are excited to leave highschool, starting college can be scary no matter how prepared they are. Many parents have their own opinions on the subject. In “A Cure for Senioritis,” a graduate from Fordham University said, “I do not believe that many are emotionally ready for college life, especially if they will be living away from home.”
Senior year can be a whole different experience for each person, but teachers and staff can help change so it is good for everyone. Making activities for non athletic students, creating more classes for seniors, and helping students with preparing for college could all help. Senioritis is a diagnosis that each student can catch very quickly and everyone should believe that these statements will create a better senior year.
Sources
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=lanc78965&id=GALE%7CA103551112&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=7544c074
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=lanc78965&id=GALE%7CA102253356&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=ef14093e
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=lanc78965&id=GALE%7CA320925071&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=b7e3c2db