Ask any senior at Pascack Hills High School about the concept of senioritis and you will hear similar things. The supposed affliction causes students in their final year of their relative education to decline in motivation and overall performance—and the time has come for Pascack Hills students to feel its effects.
“Yes, it is real,” said senior Ayo O’uhuru. “Seniors not getting any work makes you basically free from anything, which lowers your drive to do work.”
So why does it so greatly affect senior students at Pascack Hills?
Considering it is already May, the second to last month of the school year, some seniors might not be as diligent as they were when they were applying to get into colleges a few months back.
“[Senioritis] has affected me negatively,” continues O’uhuru. “I don’t do anything anymore… It has decreased my actual motivation towards high school but I have to maintain my grades, so I do what I have to do.”
Senior Omar Maamoun spoke about the phenomenon too, “[Senioritis] has affected me to the greatest extent possible. I have just stopped handing in assignments, and started goofing around in class with my other seniors. Once I committed [to college], my senioritis went from bad, to ridiculously atrocious.”
Whether it is Tulane University, Franklin Pierce University, Syracuse University, or anywhere in between, college is a step most high school students strive to reach. Students feel as though a weight has been lifted when acceptances come out. Still, this does not mean that the last few months as a senior at Pascack Hills do not matter. Keeping up with work will show the dedication the colors brown, orange and white have helped instill.
To help encourage seniors to finish strong, here are a few tips from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling on avoiding senioritis.
- Plan ahead – write down deadlines for applications, papers, tests, college visits, as well as sports or other extracurricular activities and plan out a substantial amount of time for each activity during the week.
- Don’t obsess – since it is easy to become overwhelmed with the idea of college and to forget about the present, do things that you actually want to do and not just to impress colleges.
- Talk about it – leaving high school can be sad and exciting for many, so talk about your feelings, fears, etc. Talk to parents, guidance counselors or friends that are going through similar issues.
- Don’t forget to have fun – after all, this is your LAST year of high school.
