As the school year comes to an end, “senioritis,” a phrase used by seniors to describe their lack of motivation to finish the school year after they are accepted into college, begins to kick in harder than ever. At Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the seniors are by no means an exception. In fact, there have been more complaints of senioritis than any time this school year at MSD.
“I cannot wait for this year to end, and it feels like I have been going here for way to long and graduation is never going to happen. I am so sick of coming to school,” senior Gabby Furetta said.
Due to lack of motivation to come to school, teachers that have senior based classes have been feeling the repercussions. Some teachers have even started to make it a grade for just showing up to class and being on time.
“It’s sometimes spotty because a lot of seniors feel like the years over and they have senioritis, so it’s frustrating as a teacher because there are things we still need to get done and want them to be prepared for like the AP exam. I found that a lot of people just won’t serve detentions, so as opposed to doing that I have made attendance a class grade and if you are tardy it impacts your grade, which can be the difference between having an 89 or 90,” AP literature teacher Andrea Kowalski-Rosperski said.
With prom coming up and graduation following soon after, seniors feel as if the end is so close. Most seniors have already been accepted and committed to a college, so they feel as if the rest of high school is unnecessary.
“After I was accepted into college, I felt so much more less driven to show up to school because it all seemed pointless, I am already into a university and going to high school I feel like I am treated like a baby,” senior Natalie Mistretta said.
Student affairs have been very busy involving long lines due to this situation. Seniors are either constantly being signed in late or are being signed out early.
“Every time I want to leave early or need to be somewhere that I have to leave early for, the line to get the paper to sign out is extremely long. Everyone just wants to leave school nowadays,” senior Sarah Lippel said.
Most teachers expect their students to show up no matter how sick they are of coming to school. They are understanding of the struggle of being a senior because they have all been through it before when they were in high school.
“When they [students] don’t show up, or they show up with coffee and are late it’s a little frustrating because we just want them to come to class, get their work done, and do well when the year comes to an end,” Kowalski-Rosperski said.
Besides seniors, attendance for all grades has been less than average this year.
“Everything is worse this year across the board, including attendance,” secretary Jill Zimmerman said.
Seniors will have to stick it out for the next couple of weeks until their last day of school on May 23, but until then, coming to school and staying the full day will continue to be a controversial subject for these MSD students.
