Alexis Fowler

I’ve always been the type of person who likes school. I hate waking up early, but I’ve always believed that it was worth it because I could see my friends. I enjoy learning because I have good teachers who make classes fun. Unfortunately something has stopped that and it’s not COVID. It’s the enemy to seniors everywhere: It is called SENIORITIS. 

Senioritis is defined as the lack of motivation that people experience in their last year of school. Its symptoms include: skipping class, not completing assignments, and not feeling like doing any school related work. The side effects are even worse: dropping grades, failing classes and even graduating late. 

So how do we stop the high school pandemic that is senioritis? 

To figure out how to stop this feeling, we first have to figure out the root of the issue. Most of the causes connect to each other in some way or another. I believe that the biggest instigator is the idea that we’re almost done with school. The idea of being so close to the finish line causes students to grow bored and restless. 

Another huge factor is gifted kid burnout. Gifted kid burnout is the feeling of stress and anxiety students feel after striving for success for so long. After working so hard to get perfect grades students lose all their motivation and it’s replaced with the pressure to continue their previous “perfection”. 

And lastly there is fear. Some students are worried about what they will do after school. The constant stress that comes with college applications, graduation and their final classes can leave them in denial. This denial causes them to push aside all hopes for the future and stay stuck in the present.

How can we stop this detrimental disease? 

The first way to fix this is to choose challenging courses. By enrolling in courses that are challenging, students are forced to stay motivated and remain focused on their current grades. This was unfortunately a mistake I made. I only have one class needed to graduate, and it’s an elective. Fortunately I have two college courses next semester, so I can stay motivated through them. 

Students must stop focusing on college. Looking to the future is preventing students from enjoying high school in the present. High school goes by in the blink of an eye, so it’s not worth wasting time looking forward to the future when you should enjoy the time they have now. The most important thing is to remember why you’re working so hard. You shouldn’t focus on the future. You should remember that your dedication now will pay off later. 

I think the best solution is to simply enjoy high school while it lasts. So go to that football game and that pep rally. Dress up for spirit week and go to every event you can. We just need to enjoy our senior year while it lasts.