Senioritis. This term tends to get thrown around as the school year approaches its end. Senioritis refers to the way that high school seniors tend to lack motivation and let their grades fall as they get closer to graduating. That is not to say that every senior falls off a cliff, but based on personal experience, it seems to hold true for the vast majority. 

But why does “Senioritis” occur? According to JagMedia.org, “Though senioritis can be caused by many things, one of the main contributors is stress.” This stress can come from a variety of sources. Based on what I’ve seen from my friends, most students are stressed about applying to colleges and scholarships. However, once they’re into a school they want, students often begin to slack off because they think they don’t have to try anymore. Unfortunately for them, many schools still check in on your grades during the second half of the year so it’s important to maintain a solid effort. 

So how can we combat this annual epidemic of slacking off? A simple thing that most people can do is to set attainable goals. For example, you could say, “I won’t get below an 85 the rest of the year.” Something else you can do is get your friends to study with you so it is more fun. 

Timberlane seniors are not exempt from Senioritis. Senior Cooper Kelly said, “I’m already into the school I want, so it’s hard to be motivated when there’s not much to work towards.” Another senior, Konrad Parker, says, “Senioritis is very real”. This issue is going to get worse as the weather gets warmer and students would rather do anything but their schoolwork. There are countless solutions to this problem, but it’s difficult to change the human nature of high school seniors.