It is currently the middle of second semester, a few weeks before spring break. Right about now is when seniors are going crazy, antsy about their college admissions decisions, celebrating their acceptances, or mourning over their rejections. Nevertheless, just about every senior at YLHS is craving graduation and summer. With less than 50 school days left, many seniors’ abilities to stay focused on academics is severely decreasing. The struggle is real folks. If someone walks into a senior class during school one day this week, he or she would witness the ultimate case of Senioritis. It has officially become a widespread influenza across the school.

In the first half of the school year, most seniors did not let this terrible illness affect them since they still had legitimate motivations to work for (aka, college admissions). However, since it is now nearing the end of March, with roughly two and a half months of high school left to go, the majority of seniors have stopped caring as much about their grades and have succumbed to the wrath of Senioritis. Especially since most seniors know by now where they will be attending school next year, they feel as if they can lay back and coast for the rest of the school year. As much as teachers wish their senior students would avoid slacking off, it is inevitable. Senioritis has and will always affect students each year, some earlier than others.

Senioritis comes in three waves. The first wave comes in the beginning of the year, when people would least expect it. Students are just beginning school, and they should be motivated to work hard, but they are still on summer vacation mode and enjoy the fact that they are seniors. Unfortunately, this early stage of Senioritis is extremely bad and difficult to treat; however, with the right motivational teachers and incentives, students should be healed in no time. The second wave of Senioritis appears within students right after winter break. Following a long two weeks off of school, they display a lazy attitude and unwillingness to work hard. Yet again, this is a bad case of Senioritis since January is the time to kick back into the swing of things and push through the rest of the curriculum. Possible treatments for this wave of Senioritis include getting plenty of sleep (even as unrealistic as that may be for high school students), eating healthy well-balanced meals, and drinking enough water. Lastly, the few weeks preceding spring break is when the third stage of Senioritis attacks. Students may have felt it coming on before then a tad bit, but now it is in full motion. Although it may seem like school is almost out, there are still AP tests that students must study for and do well on in order to get college credit. Do not let Senioritis affect your chances of testing out of college classes and entering college as a sophomore.

Back in November, students were interviewed on their feelings of Senioritis at the time, and only a few claimed that they had it. After asking some seniors now, their opinions on the matter have changed drastically. Taylor Provenzano (12) stated, “I most definitely have Senioritis. Getting out of bed and going to school each day has become the hardest task.”

While many students at YLHS may be affected by Senioritis, still try to succeed in your classes and work hard until the very end. It will all be worth it; seniors can get good grades, make their parents proud, pass their AP tests, and graduate knowing they did not let the wrath of Senioritis get to them. Good luck seniors!