We’ve heard of flu season before, and ever since the pandemic, we have to look out for Covid-19, as well. However, it’s important to be aware of the rapidly spreading ‘senioritis’ that affects almost every senior class annually. 

Senioritis is not a physical sickness or disease, but more so a mentality or a state of being that many seniors adopt, especially during second semester. With college results rolling in for those who applied Early Action and Early Decision, future life decisions being made and graduation getting closer, minds start to shift toward the future and off of the school work in front of them. 

 For some, the effects of senioritis are easy to identify. Ocho Finn (12) is committed to New York University to study finance and economics in the fall. Finn described what senioritis felt like to him.

“Ever since getting into college, sometimes you go home and the last thing you want to do is homework. Sometimes you would rather go to the gym and go for a run, [and] do a lot of other things [besides] homework,” Finn said.

For others, senioritis has not taken a direct toll on their school life. Joanna Choi (12) is not currently committed to a specific college, but has been accepted into a few this semester. She addressed the fact that colleges can still send out academic warnings to students if they see a drop in grades or GPA, which is something that keeps her on top of her grades.

“Your senior year still matters, so don’t slack off,” Choi said.

Although senioritis affects students, teachers are aware of it as well. 

“[Senioritis is] seniors seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, knowing they are going to graduate, and taking [their] foot off the gas a little bit,” Paul Brettner, math teacher, said.

Brettner has been teaching high school seniors for about 20 years now. He is one of the AP Statistics teachers, where seniors make up 60-65% of students in the class, which has allowed him to see his fair share of senioritis and its effects on seniors. 

“Most of the AP Stats kids are consistent [with work], but some of the seniors will start being a little less diligent about homework and prepare a little less,” Brettner said.

That light at the end of the tunnel starts to shine a bit brighter as second semester rolls around. Many seniors have finalized their plans for after high school, or have a general idea of what they would like to do. However, this can lead to a decrease in motivation when it comes to schoolwork. 

From a survey sent out to VHHS seniors, 27 out of 42 respondents reported seeing a decrease in their motivation to do school work from first semester to second semester.

“On your eigth semester here at the same school, with the same routines, there probably is a little bit of fatigue and a lot of ‘I can’t wait for the next step,’” Brettner said. 

For some, such as Finn, their future plans are already set in place, whether that means college, enlisting in the armed forces, starting a job, etc.

Finn applied to NYU through an Early Decision (ED) application, meaning NYU was his top choice of college and he was 100% committed to going there when he applied. 

“I genuinely don’t know why more people don’t [apply] ED, especially if you know that’s the one school…[and] you know what you want and what you’re looking for…[and] you really love the school,” Finn said.

Applying ED can ensure students that if they get in, they don’t have to worry about waiting for other college results to come. They make their decision for college before they even get the result, and if accepted, they can automatically withdraw from all other college applications. 

Because Finn has already made his college decision, he has not been experiencing some of the stress or anxiety that other seniors may be feeling as they await their college results or study for final exams.

“There wasn’t a lot of stress on me in [first semester] finals because I was already in a school and [finals] didn’t necessarily have as much of an impact on anything,” Finn said.

Izzy Loiben (12) is another senior who has finalized her post high school plans. Loiben has committed to Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri to play for their softball team while also majoring in chemistry. 

Loiben shared similar statements to Finn regarding how she has experienced a decrease in her stress levels because she did not have to worry about any college acceptances. She also explained that she felt a decrease in pressure to perform athletically while at her club softball and in her upcoming softball season at VHHS.

Similarly to Choi, Eunice Yeh (12) is still awaiting her college acceptances and has yet to experience senioritis’s effects on her academics. Yeh’s top choice is the United States Naval Academy. As Yeh awaits a response from the academy, she reports no changes to her daily motivation or school routine.

“I’ve been so locked in because I finally created my own schedule that works for me and [I’m] not getting too tired…I don’t want to lose that [schedule] just because I am [leaving high school] soon,” Yeh said.

Yeh also expressed that, in her own experience, she is not experiencing a lack of motivation, but instead an increase in fear as her childhood ends and adulthood gets closer.

“Independence is something that I’ve always wanted, but now that [the future] is coming closer, I’m scared,” Yeh said.

Although this time of senior year may seem to bring an increase in procrastination or fear for the future, these seniors have learned from their experiences and shared some advice about the college application process.

“It helps to complete your personal statement over the summer before senior year begins,” Finn said. “That helps alleviate any stress during the school year and allows you to focus on writing supplemental essays that some colleges require.”

Choi also mentioned the benefit of writing your essays early, as you can then go back and revise your essays to check that they are up to your current standards before submitting them.

“Start [writing] early, but go back and edit your [work] to sound more like the current you,” Choi said.

As for future seniors looking to be recruited for a sport, Loiben said the best way to get there is to simply go for it and reach out to the coaches and colleges.

“Don’t get unmotivated,” Loiben said. “A lot of times you are going to email [a coach] and not get an email back, but it’s all part of the process.” 

For students interested in joining the armed forces, Yeh said the best way to learn more is by taking the initiative to just try things out. For Yeh, that meant applying to a summer program at the US Naval Academy, called the Naval Academy Summer Seminar (NASS), which allowed her to experience the lifestyle and responsibilities that are expected at the academy.

As senior year reaches the final few months, it is advised for seniors to stay on top of their current coursework and grades, and to not succumb to the effects of senioritis. That being said, seniors are excited for upcoming events such as Prom and graduation.

“You’re not going to have this [part of your life] anymore so it’s better to just enjoy it while it lasts… and just enjoy the last moments of being a child,” Yeh said.