I am sure you have heard the words, “I want to get out of here already” from at least one senior this school year. While senioritis is known for hitting seniors, especially towards the end of the last semester. Why has this plague left so many without motivation? Is there a cure?

While senioritis is not a real disease, it has become the label for the feeling that truly does plague many seniors towards the end of their high school career. Senioritis simply means the decline in motivation which can lead to students not caring about grades, not attending class, not fulfilling graduation requirements, or not putting effort into school activities. 

Let’s dig deeper into what causes a once focused and successful student into one that no longer cares. 

The first and most obvious reason is being burnt out. If you are wondering how a society aimed toward achievement can be a downside, consider how many burnt-out gifted kids there are towards the end of senior year.

For those whose goals involve academic validation, being so close to the end leaves the constant cycle of tests, projects, and essays seeming meaningless and draining. 

While most students are tired of doing the same thing for the 4th year in a row and are looking forward to the next step, anticipation takes over and many lose focus on the tasks at hand. 

With newfound freedom being only a few months away, the busy work slowly becomes less and less important to complete. Students often see the finish line and realize they no longer have to work so hard to reach it.

Senior at CCCHS Landon Kenney states, “I believe so many seniors experience senioritis because life seems much more fulfilling post high school. We have all worked our tails off to get scholarships, get accepted into college, get all the high school credits in, and maintain a high GPA. We are within a few months of life out on our own, so high school is the least of the worries on our minds.”

Let’s answer the question at hand: is there a cure? 

 “I don’t think there is a cure because we are looking at college and our future and not focusing on the repeat/easy classes we have to do our last year,” states senior Kennedy Norman-Young.

Staying organized, changing your work load, creating a new schedule, setting goals, taking needed breaks, and remembering why you started are all realistic things you can put into place to help with a lack of motivation. 

While there is no actual cure for getting through senior year, it is important to focus on the experience at hand, despite how tempting it is to go to Starbucks instead of 1st period. 

Remembering that one day you will look back on your time in high school is a bittersweet thing. It is important to soak up your last moments in the student section, meetings with your favorite club, your last school play, your last dance, and your last days as a Raider.