“I’ll do this later,” “This doesn’t matter anymore,” and “As long as I pass, I’m fine.” These are three common forms of thinking of senior high school students in their second semester. What is this sweeping phenomenon among seniors? Is it even real?

Senioritis. The “disease” that catches many seniors in their final year of high school. Senioritis is defined as the significant decline in motivation, focus, and academic effort among high school seniors nearing graduation. It can often be caused by burnout, apathy, and anxiety about the future ahead.

Exhaustion is a key symptom of senioritis that affects a lot of seniors. By the fourth year of high school, many students are tired from all of the school work and other activities they participate in.

Anthony Wohlstadter, a senior in the Lamourous House, thinks it is a combination of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion.

“After waking up for four years in a row at 5:30 to get to school you do get physically tired from it,” he said.  “But also emotions are high because college is all new and high school is comfortable so it can be scary to leave.” He also added that mentally “you just do not want to do the work anymore.”

House Captain of the Grey House, Gus Stromberg, sees it differently. He thinks it is just mental exhaustion.

“You have done this for four years, so it is just pretty easy to check out,” Stromberg said.

Despite the temptation, he still believes seniors should try to stay focused through the final months of their final year.

“I’ve always kept a high standard for myself in my grades, and I know that to keep that standard I need to keep working in the classroom.”

While students may experience it firsthand, teachers see it from another perspective. Senior English teacher Mrs. Bishop said the behavior is often frustrating rather than amusing.

“It’s not really funny. It is sad, and it is annoying because teachers work really hard,” she explained,  “We plan lessons, we grade, we are constantly working, and it is hard when students do not give their best.”

She also does not believe senioritis is necessarily worse today that it was in the past.

“This is my fifth year teaching seniors, and I think it is probably about the same,” Mrs. Bishop said. She commented that many students stay motivated by the exam exemption that they get if they have an A in the class.

Mrs. Bishop also recognizes that the end of the school year is tiring for everyone, students and teachers both. “We are all getting tired and frustrated by the end of the year,” she said.

She believes accountability is important and that teachers should continue to challenge their students. “Holding them accountable is a really important part of teaching.”

Senioritis may not be an official medical condition, but the experiences of teachers and students show that the feeling is very real. Whether it comes from exhaustion, readiness for college, or simply the four long years of hard work, many seniors struggle with motivation as graduation approaches. The challenge for students is finishing strong even when the finish line is in sight,