Senioritis affects all students

LAURA GOULD/Charleston Catholic

By Jennifer Winkler
George Washington High School

Sun shining. Flowers blooming. Pools opening. Students studying. Err, back up a little. When the weather turns warm and it seems as if spring has finally arrived, students tend to have a drastically decreased motivation toward schoolwork.

This tendency is especially common in high school seniors. Senioritis, as it is most frequently called, usually kicks in as college acceptance letters come pouring in. Feeling their spots at the school of their choice are guaranteed, seniors lose motivation to continue working academically. Plans for life after high school are being made, and finishing the current school year lacks excitement.

But just because seniors are thought of as the classic year-end slackers, they certainly can’t take all the blame for spring fever. Underclassmen often follow the seniors’ example and tend to slack off in the springtime as well.

Parents, teachers and school administrators often notice the many signs of senioritis. Procrastination and general slowness usually arrive first, followed by an increasing carelessness toward schoolwork. Students tend to lack focus and have difficulty making decisions; sweatpants and tennis shoes are rampant. Frequent absences and a dismissive attitude seem to round out the list of symptoms.

However, consequences of slacking off are more serious than many teens realize. Most colleges require a copy of your senior schedule and even a mid-year grade report; it will be obvious if you scheduled an easy year for yourself as a senior. And according to CollegeBoard.com, many universities reserve the right to revoke admission or scholarships if students’ grades fall or their GPA drops below a certain point.

There is no known “cure,” but there are some things that seniors - and all high-school students, for that matter — can do to fight senioritis. Maintaining a challenging course load will not only motivate you to work hard but will also better prepare you for college. (Almost half of college freshmen are unprepared upon arrival and are required to take remedial courses.) Seniors might even want to consider taking a class at a local community college in order to stay interested in academics. Continued participation in extracurricular and volunteer activities may also help.

Though letting your last weeks of school slide by may seem relaxing, slacking off will ultimately cause more harm than good. So try not to let the senior slump deprive you of some last valuable learning opportunities.