“Senioritis is when you grow tired of where you’ve been and, knowing that the end is near, you just kind of lose focus …” shared NDB counselor Allan Gargaritano.
Seniors around NDB are realizing that their high school career is coming to an end more rapidly than they expected. Now
that college applications have been completed, students find themselves with a sense of relief and calm, expecting the rest of the semester to be low maintenance. But, this may be deceiving. A term known as “senioritis” has become a well-known part of the senior class’s vocabulary. It describes what happens after students complete their applications and even start getting into schools.
This term, popularized on many social media platforms, refers to the phenomenon where many second-semester seniors
begin to mentally check out of their current academic responsibilities. With college admissions continuing to roll in, many seniors turn their focus to future goals and the excitement of post-high school plans, letting grades slip.
“I applied early to Texas Christian University, and I got accepted on the fifth of December,” explained senior Georgia Melvin. “Since then, I’ve been mainly focusing on finishing strong and establishing good relationships with teachers, which could grant me good recommendations for future pursuits. I am still putting a decent amount of effort into my grades because I want to stay true to my values of having strong academics, but probably not as much as I have in prior semesters.”
The most important thing to remember about senioritis is that it is not only the loss of motivation, but the possibility of acceptances getting revoked due to bad grades. When the urge to get good grades fades, colleges notice. There have been countless cases of colleges seeing these grades slip and taking away their offers. It is important for students to put in as much effort as possible all the way up until graduation because schools have the ability to request transcripts at their discretion.
“I haven’t seen a lot of senioritis happening just yet, but I know that, as we start this semester and as we have a lot of fun activities going on, it’s definitely growing,” said Gargaritano. “I would say: Just stay focused on your goals.”
He added, “Colleges: It’s still conditional. So, you have to do well, and [admissions] can be based on your last transcript grade. They can decide if they want to keep you or let you go,”
The best way to avoid senioritis is not only to keep grades up overall, but also to remain focused on schoolwork, check in with teachers to avoid miscommunication and keep absences to a minimum. The more attendance at school, the easier it will be to keep grades at the standard they need to be at.
Senioritis can be dangerous, but also easily avoidable with proper communication and a good support system. It is important to stay organized and focused to create the best ending to high school possible. In the final semester, seniors around NDB should stay aware of what responsibilities they have.
