“Senioritis” is a common high school myth that explains Seniors ever-slowing academic drive during the second semester of the school year.
Most seniors would argue that, though Senioritis is not a diagnosable disease, it is a commonly-felt hindrance on one’s work ethic.
Senior Trey Jarman talked about where the apathy stems from.
“I think that it applies classically to seniors because the whole thing is that ‘I’m almost done’ and that why you use that as a crutch,” said Jarman. “It all ties into procrastination. It all ties into sleep deprivation. That’s what it is.”
Senior Cade Coughran explained that the stereotype comes more from the monotony that Seniors find in school after attending for so long.
“Oh my god it’s just like the same thing over and over again pretty much,” said Coughran. “So I mean it’s kinda tedious just going through high school year after year.”
Peter Gammelgard, a science teacher, claimed that the myth is relative to the time of year and can affect every student.
“I think its highly contagious,” he said. “It affects some seniors more than others and it affects all grade levels. Particularly when the weather gets nice and students start spending more time being able to do other things. Then, the whole student body can just slip in their focus late in the second semester.”
Senior Kylee Dresbach-Hill claimed that students should not let this procrastination hurt their future.
“I think you should still have that drive because you’re gonna send in the transcripts to colleges that you’re going to,” said Dresbach-Hill. “And if you think you can get away with going to a high-caliber college and giving up when you only have a few months left… You just have to push to the end.”
Jennifer Weir, a science teacher, also stated that students have to fight that desire to slack off.
“(Senioritis is) legitimate in that students really feel less pressure to do well because they feel that the grades don’t count towards graduation or towards their college applications,” said Mrs. Weir.
Mr. Gammelgard also provided a solution for all students’ dilatory behavior.
“Hypnotism, probably hypnotism would do it or other forms of magic.”
