At this point in the year, seniors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have already received their acceptance letters from several colleges and have begun to plan for their life after high school.
At first, this process can be stressful for students, since friends, parents and even significant others can try to pull them in different directions. Ultimately the decision is up to the student, but sometimes the decision may feel out of their hands.
By March, three months away from graduation, most seniors know if they are going to college and where they will go. However, normal high school functions like schoolwork, activities and clubs continue as usual.
Merriam-Webster defines senioritis as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.”
Senioritis may seem like an excuse for students to be lazier and even dress sloppier, however, their actions are backed up by reasonable explanations.
It is highly unlikely that a college will take back their acceptance from a student unless their grades plummet or their GPA drops dramatically. For this reason, many accepted seniors only need to maintain a certain minimum grade and have no motivation to go above and beyond that minimum.
There is no reason to overwork oneself in the last few months of school, unless you have AP exams, since people already know where they are going, and those who work half as hard will end up in the same place as the hard-working student.
Senioritis doesn’t only show through grades; it can also be seen through the ways seniors dress and the amount of sleep they get. Inhibitions are lost at this point in the year. The hoodies, sweatpants and slippers have become a new fashion statement on campus for those who have nothing to lose.
At MSD, there are lines out of student services for people to leave early daily, and the senior parking lot seems to be more empty with each passing day.
The only known cure that can help second-semester seniors is graduation. However, until that comes, seniors must first get to the finish line.
