Mitigating the symptoms of senioritis

While apathy is a symptom of many diseases, laziness itself is not a diagnosable illness. Students suffering from senioritis would beg to differ.

Senioritis is the supposed “disease” that afflicts high school seniors, whose symptoms include waning motivation, poor studying habits, repeated absences, and being overall dismissive.

With the second semester beginning on Friday, Jan. 26, several students have self-diagnosed themselves.

“Yes, I have senioritis,” admitted Morgan Lane. “I am so not motivated to do my calculus or my Spanish homework, but I know it has to be done.”

She also acknowledged increased procrastination as a symptom.

Rachel Schell reflected, “I think a lot of people have had it since we entered high school.”

“I have senioritis in the way of excitement for this next year. I’m so excited for the change that will come with college,” she explained, adding, “I’ve been in this same high school building for nearly four years, and I’m so excited for a new town, new people, and a new school.”

However, extreme cases of senioritis can have negative effects on students’ futures.

Several colleges require accepted students to send in mid-year reports reflecting their grades upon the conclusion of both first and second semesters.

Unfavorable mid-year reports can lead colleges to question acceptance decisions or financial aid packages.

Kat Cohen, a college admissions counselor for the Huffington Post, reported, “There are hundreds, if not thousands, of rescinded acceptances every year.”

“Just because a student got in doesn’t mean he or she is home free,” Cohen said. “Colleges reserve the right to take it away if the student doesn’t live up to his or her academic responsibilities.”

Cohen noted that even if acceptance is not revoked, students can be placed on academic probation for their freshman year, or can lose financial aid.

“Many merit scholarships are also based on [grade point average], so if a student’s GPA suffers during the last semester, they’ll pay for it,” she explained, “literally.”

These consequences, along with intrinsic motivation, are enough to inoculate most students against senioritis.

Schell said, “When it comes to curing senioritis, I think we need to think about the people around us, our parents, community members, everybody.

“It’ll keep us on the ground for a bit longer.”

“My ‘cure’ is thinking about all of the things that I’ll miss,” Abby Gering said. “Going through sports and school activities realizing that they’re all lasts is a bit of a reality check.”

In comparison, another student believes the only cure is graduation. This has led some students to count the days until the Class of 2018 commencement on June 2.

There are conflicting opinions about the effectiveness of counting the days.

Students whose motivation remains intact are opting not to count the days, stating: “I am not counting the days until graduation because if I do that, then it will take longer to get here.”

With a semester left of their academic careers at LRHS, the best cure for senioritis might be the motivation found in the words of Muhammad Ali.

Rather than growing apathetic toward the present and fixating on the future, he advised, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”