Column: My mild case of senioritis

I thought I wasn’t going to get it. But senioritis is real. And it didn’t hit me until a month after my second semester of senior year began.

As February rolled around, I began to realize how hard it was to get out of bed in the morning. It wasn’t that I slept late, I was just unmotivated to get out of bed. In my classes, I was easily distracted and I found myself constantly looking back at the clock.

I was suffering from senioritis. And, as it turns out, I’m not alone. A handful of my friends and many other seniors also began suffering from senioritis. Some caught senioritis back in December when they had just finished UC applications. Others had gotten it in February, like I had, in a sort of second wave if you will.

So how do you know if you are suffering from senioritis?

According to Southern New Hampshire University Newsroom, senioritis is when one simply loses the motivation to work when they’re nearing the end of their classes. Senioritis is evident in a student when they experience a drop in grades, procrastinate more, miss assignments, and, in more serious cases, skip class.

Personally, I noticed that I’ve been taking frequent naps and falling asleep even before finishing homework, which causes me to have to rush to finish it in the morning or right before class begins. I also began to put less effort into my homework just so I can get it done quickly.

To all the seniors out there, senioritis is absolutely normal. Do not be ashamed of yourself if you feel that you’re not working hard enough. After the rigorous college application process, you deserve a rest.

However, with fair warning, severe cases of senioritis can jeopardize your future. It is okay to feel lazy and take more naps than usual, but if your grades slip too much, it will become a problem. Your final senior year grades will need to be sent to the college you plan on attending, so you cannot have a failing grade in any of your classes. 

Howstuffworks explains that a student with a B+ on their final transcript will be fine, but if you were previously an A student who finishes with a C/D in a class, you may not be able to attend that college you were accepted into. This reveals that colleges still value your senior year grades, so you should be careful not to let your grades drop too much. Colleges expect that you carry on your academic success at their school, and any uncharacteristic and sudden drops in grades would bring your application and you as a student in general into question.

That being said, again, senioritis is normal — to a certain extent. Your body and mind need a break, but relaxing too much may cause a dent in your future endeavors.

So to all my fellow seniors, hang in there! Senior year is almost over. Senioritis is only temporary; you will overcome it soon.

Take your breaks when you need them, keep up with your obligations and responsibilities, and soon you’ll be basking in the rays of your graduation. Besides, think of this bout of senioritis as a way to build up immunity for when you catch senioritis again at the end of college.