Senioritis (noun): an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades (Merriam-Webster). The only known cure to this disease that plagues almost every senior is graduation.
How have the RHS seniors been coping with these last few days of the school year? High Times interviewed four seniors on their thoughts.
Matt will be attending Syracuse University next year. Now that the AP exam season and college decisions are over, he questions the importance of these last weeks of learning: “I have several week periods [of] little motivation followed by a short burst, at most a few days, of motivation and grinding to catch up on what I missed.”
Claudia is attending Temple University, but for now she is making the most out of her last days of RHS, saying, “I’m still learning interesting things, and things that will help me in college. Usually I get pretty bored in the summer, so I’m trying to savor my last few weeks being in high school.”
Kateryna, a senior who will be attending MIT next year, is struggling to find an incentive for school, saying, “To be completely honest, I’m kind of letting loose these last few weeks. That’s not to say that I’m not getting assignments done or studying, but I’ve finally let myself enjoy the fruits of years worth of labor.”
Alex will be attending Rutgers University next year, and similar to Kateryna and Matt, she is plagued with senioritis: “I’m not motivated. Well, it depends on the class but mostly no. Some classes are interesting, and I see the value in that curriculum. But I think most classes are winding down so there isn’t really any new material or learning to do.”
Reflecting on everything that these four seniors have said, High Times compiled a few key points on how seniors, current and rising, can avoid senioritis.
- Keep organized– have a checklist, planner, neat binder, etc.
- Take breaks now and then– try the pomodoro technique: work for 25 minutes straight, take a 10 minute break, then repeat.
- Find something that motivates you to keep going- ending strong with straight As, making a family member/friend proud, etc.
Congratulations and farewell to the class of 2021!
Bronwyn Spencer
Staff Writer